PRIME MINISTER

Food Aid

David Drew: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to the G8 in response to the World Food Programme's request for help for hungry and malnourished people.

Tony Blair: At the request of the US and UK, the G8 has agreed to work urgently with partners to improve the effectiveness and availability of humanitarian assistance and adequately fund urgent humanitarian needs in Africa.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to the communique" issued at the G8 summit. This is available on the No. 10 website.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 29 June 2005, Official Report, column1292, on tax credit overpayments, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Yeovil; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I replied to the hon. Member yesterday.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Discrimination

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps have been taken to tackle discriminatory behaviour against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the provision of goods, facilities and services.

Meg Munn: Since 1997, Government action has been directed to making a real difference to the lives of a great many of lesbian, gay and bisexual people across the country. Having said that, we recognise that there is still discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the provision of goods, facilities and service and these are difficult areas which need to be looked at carefully.
	We announced in February this year our intention to review discrimination law and look in detail at the best ways to address the current gaps and difficulties. The work of this review is now under way. A proper investigation of how the law should be shaped particularly in important areas such as providing protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services is a key area for the Discrimination Law Review.
	The review will lead to proposals for a fairer, simpler and more effective framework; and will enable this Government to deliver its manifesto commitment to introduce a Single Equality Bill in the lifetime of this Parliament.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Broadband (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide further broadband availability assistance to East Sussex county council in order for it to meet its broadband targets.

Alun Michael: The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is now running a number of programmes targeting broadband take-up in addition to availability. SEEDA funding of £150,000 is supporting a broadband partnership which is led by East Sussex county council in partnership with East Sussex Economic Partnership, Business Link for Sussex, BT Group, the local education authority in East Sussex, and the Learning and Skills Council. The title of the project is Social and Economic Advancement in East Sussex through Accelerated Broadband Service Availability". Its aim is to grow demand for broadband services and to develop the benefits to businesses and less advantaged communities in priority areas. The project started in late 2004 and is likely to run for at least two years.
	No direct funding from DTI is offered specifically to increase broadband availability in the East Sussex area, although we are working closely with BT to minimise the small number of remaining broadband 'blackspots' across the country.

Broadband (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding assistance has been given to East Sussex county council to assist it to meet its broadband availability targets in the county.

Alun Michael: Broadband coverage in the South East of England is extensive, with over 99 per cent. of households able to receive broadband as indicated to in my previous answer to the hon. Member of 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1570W. All telephone exchanges except one in East Sussex are enabled for broadband and that one, Isfield, has a commercial wireless service installed. The wireless solution at Isfield was funded from a grant of £50,000 from the South East of England Development Agency to the East Sussex county council to support wireless broadband community co-operatives. Apart from this, no direct funding has gone to East Sussex county council because we have successfully focused upon delivering a competitive marketplace to encourage the rollout of broadband.

Carbon Sequestration

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the infrastructure requirements to sequester carbon dioxide in reservoirs in the North sea.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 July 2005
	One of the tasks arising from the carbon abatement technology strategy which I announced on 14 June 2005 will be to assess the sources and North sea sinks for CO 2 which in itself would identify possible infrastructures. We would plan to publish the results of this work within the next year.

Carbon Sequestration

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of barrels of oil that can be recovered as a result of enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration in (a) the UK sector of the North sea and (b) the Scottish sector of the North sea.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 July 2005
	We have conducted studies to look into the potential for injecting carbon dioxide into mature UK North sea oilfields for sequestration and for extracting more oil. These studies show that the additional recovery could be as much as 2 billion barrels if the technology is applied extensively. However this is prior to full economic evaluations being done.
	Most of the fields that went into the study are in the central North sea, northern North sea and west of Shetlands.

Consumer Protection

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if the Government will assess the merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the level of protection for consumers who purchase a defective vehicle;
	(2)  if he will re-examine the effectiveness of legislation protecting consumers from faulty goods.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government are committed to improving Britain's consumer regime and any intervention should be based on an evidence-based and risk-assessed approach. I have seen no evidence to suggest that the current legislation in this area is not working effectively.

English Wine

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to promote English wine during the EU presidency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties he hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Department of Trade and Industry is organising several informal events in the UK during the UK presidency, in order to facilitate progress on key EU priorities at formal meetings to be held in Brussels. Catering for these events is procured in line with the EC's procurement rules and obtains value for money for the Department. During the presidency, DTI ministerial colleagues, officials and I are planning to serve English and Welsh wine, as well as other UK produce, wherever catering contracts at event venues permit this.
	For formal Council meetings in Brussels we are working with the Council Secretariat to try to provide British food and drink for all formal EU Council meetings during the presidency, including English wine.

Export Control and Non-Proliferation Directorate

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, columns 898–99W, on the export control and non-proliferation directorate, whether the report written by ASE Consulting on the potential privatisation of the export control and non-proliferation directorate recommended that outsourcing as a means of service delivery was compatible with the executive functions of that directorate; what steps his Department is taking following ASE Consulting's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The report, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House, did not conclude that outsourcing would be incompatible with the executive functions of the directorate. The Department is currently considering the report.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with representatives of oil companies since June 2004 on the future of the Iraqi oil sector, broken down by (a) date and (b) location; if he will publish the minutes of those meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: There is no record of any discussions having taken place.

Kyoto Targets

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on the allocation of individual carbon allowances in order to help the UK meet Kyoto targets for carbon dioxide emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have recognised the fact that additional measures are necessary to meet the UK's ambitious domestic emission reduction targets. The current review of the UK Climate Change Programme is looking at how existing policies are performing and the range of policies that might be put in place in the future to put us back on track to achieving our domestic goals.
	Allocation of individual carbon allowances (sometimes called domestic tradable quotas) raises several issues that need to be addressed before coming to a conclusion on feasibility, including whether the benefits of introducing such allocations are proportionate to the costs of administering them as well as the public acceptability of such a scheme.

MG Rover

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the MG brand.

Ian Pearson: The future of the MG brand is not yet clear as it depends on the outcome of the efforts of the administrators to sell the assets of MG Rover.

MG Rover

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers made redundant at MG Rover have found new employment; what assistance he is giving to workers who have not yet found employment; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Of the 4,991 former MG Rover and Powertrain workers who registered with Jobcentre Plus, 1,355 had found new employment by Tuesday 5 July 2005. In addition, some 400 former MG Rover employees chose not to register and a proportion of these will have found new employment.
	All former employees are being offered a personal training plan and as at 24 June 2005 a total of 3,151 such plans had been developed, with 1,318 individuals actually undergoing training. Various agencies working under the auspices of the Rover Task Force have worked with colleges of further education and other providers in the West Midlands to expand capacity so as to accommodate this extra demand.

MOD Textile Contracts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects on the UK textile industry of Ministry of Defence textile contracts being awarded in China.

Alun Michael: No direct contracts for clothing have been awarded by MOD to Chinese companies although contractors based in the EU have let sub-contracts to Chinese based companies.
	No assessment has been made of the effects on the UK textiles industry of sourcing from China. Most combat clothing in the UK is categorised as non warlike. MOD's supplier base optimisation (SBO) programme in relation to non warlike supplies has to comply with EU public procurement regulations against the criteria of the most economically advantageous tender. However, industrial implications are noted during the tender process and brought to the attention of Ministers in the ministerial submission for SBO contracts.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) current UK nuclear operators, (ii) overseas nuclear power generators and (iii) investors in respect of conditions which would be necessary for them to consider constructing or financing new nuclear power plants in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is always willing to meet companies engaged in the energy industry and we have regular update discussions with a wide range of such companies including those in the categories referred to. Where issues relevant to new nuclear build are raised, we are quite prepared to listen to the views put to us.

Oil Imports

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to reduce the UK's dependency on imported oil.

Malcolm Wicks: Although the UK currently remains a net exporter of oil, it is likely we will become a net importer by around 2010. However, relying on imports need not be a problem in itself, although it does require us to take a longer-term strategic international approach to energy reliability. Oil is an internationally traded commodity and all countries, whether import-dependent or not, have a common interest in promoting open markets. Most other advanced industrial economies already import significant proportions of their oil needs without noticeable disruption.
	Notwithstanding this, however, the Government remain committed to maximising the economic recovery of the UK's own oil (and gas) reserves. The PILOT initiative—a joint programme involving the Government and the UK's oil and gas industry—is central to this aim. Moreover, the Government are already putting in place policies that will help ease the UK economy away from power supplied primarily through fossil fuel supply, by increasing energy efficiency and developing alternative technologies. Information on these policies can be found in the Energy White Paper 2003 Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy" (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/index.shtml).
	In parallel, the Government have put in place a number of measures to improve the average fuel efficiency of vehicles, as set out in the July 2002 Powering Future Vehicles Strategy. These include fiscal incentives, such as the graduated, CO 2 based Vehicle Excise Duty and Company Car Tax schemes. The Government are also promoting the use of renewable transport fuels, such as biofuels, by means of fuel duty incentives. Sales of biofuels have increased rapidly during 2005, and currently stand at some 10 million litres a month, a five-fold increase over sales in 2004.

Post Offices

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many direct post offices have closed in the last 18 months in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL) and the Chief Executive has been asked to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Pregnant Workers (Discrimination)

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to help prevent discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Employers who discriminate against pregnant women are breaking the law. We have taken the opportunity afforded by the amended Equal Treatment Directive to clarify the law and are amending the Sex Discrimination Act so that it explicitly outlaws pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. These regulations will come into force on 1 October 2005.
	The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) recently published a final report on their investigation into pregnancy discrimination at work. We will be considering the report and recommendations carefully.

Royal Mail

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 60W, on Royal Mail, whether the Government will be the only shareholder in Royal Mail in the future; and what plans are being considered to provide shares to (a) employees and (b) others.

Barry Gardiner: As I said in my previous answer, the Government have given the Royal Mail greater commercial freedom and have no plans to privatise it. Neither do we have plans to issue shares to employees or others.
	Our ambition is to see a publicly owned Royal Mail fully restored to good health providing customers with excellent service and its employees with rewarding employment.

UK Trade and Investment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when UK Trade and Investment consulted the Association of Trade Organisations on proposed changes to the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: UK Trade and Investment consulted the accredited trade organisations, including members of the Sponsors' Alliance, in writing in autumn 2004; at an open forum in November 2004; and in small working groups and larger format meetings in the first three months of 2005. UK Trade and Investment is continuing to discuss the implementation of changes to the SESA scheme with the Sponsors' Alliance and accredited trade organisations who are not members of that association.

UK Trade and Investment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how UK Trade and Investment plans to help existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets to gain access to these markets; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Advice and access to a range of UKTI services is available, through international trade advisers based in regional trade teams, to existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets. Support is also available for sectorally based initiatives from which both new and existing exporters will benefit.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC Freeview (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that East Sussex receives 100 per cent. coverage of BBC Freeview; and if she will make a statement on BBC Freeview targets for the county.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 170–71W.
	The vast majority of households in East Sussex can, with the appropriate equipment, receive BBC digital television services via either digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

Big Lottery Fund

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria will be used to allocate funding from the Big Lottery Fund for a play programme; and when she expects allocations to be made.

Richard Caborn: This is a matter for the Big Lottery Fund which is currently undertaking development work on the new play fund.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to table C of the annual publication Civil Service Statistics" which provides staff numbers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency in each year from 1998 to 2004, copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. 2004 figures have been published on the Cabinet Office website.

Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely impact the new evaluation methodology of the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme will have on the review of area heritage grant schemes; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact of the Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas programme; when a decision will be taken on extending the programme to other areas; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 28 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1390–91W.
	English Heritage's Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) was replaced by Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas in April 2005. This reflected its decision to devolve management of its grant schemes to its regional offices. As with HERS, the scheme applies to any conservation area in an area of deprivation.
	English Heritage is reviewing the method by which such schemes are evaluated as part of its work on the Heritage Dividend. Together with the Heritage Lottery Fund and other grant giving agencies, it is also exploring the possibility of a joint area- based grant scheme.

Resale Rights

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings her Department has held with ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May.

David Lammy: holding answer 11 July 2005
	There have been no meetings between the Department for Culture Media and Sport and ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Vote Office Print Unit

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the publications produced by the vote office print unit since its inception.

Nick Harvey: Since its inception in 1994 the vote office print services unit has produced over 48,000 publications. A list of them all in a readily intelligible form could only be produced with disproportionate effort.

Vote Office Print Unit

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what his estimate is of the savings to the House by the use of the vote office print unit since its inception to produce publications previously printed by other sources.

Nick Harvey: It is not possible with precision to calculate the total savings to the House by use of the print services unit since its inception. On the basis of prices obtained from external printers relating to the production of a sample of 11 documents currently printed in-House it is estimated that savings in the order of £6 million have been achieved over the 10 years of operation of the unit.

Vote Office Print Unit

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are employed by the vote office print unit; and at what grade.

Nick Harvey: 10 staff are currently employed in the vote office Print services unit (two grade B; three grade C and five grade D), under the overall direction of another member of staff (grade A) as part of her duties. Six of these members of staff work a rotating shift system to provide a production capability from 7.30am to midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and 7.30am to 7pm on Fridays, in weeks that the House is sitting.

Vote Office Print Unit

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the average printing costs of the vote bundle per printed page were during the 2004–05 financial years.

Nick Harvey: The average printing costs of the vote bundle per originated printed page during financial year 2004–05 were £74.15.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the local housing allowance rates are for each rental category in each of the original pathfinder authorities.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins) on 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1558W.

Housing Benefit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of housing benefit paid to council tenants was in the last year for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The 2003–04 expenditure for housing benefit rent-rebate cases is £5,037 million.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the off-flow from jobseeker's allowance (JSA) was for (a) the UK, (b) England and Wales and (c) Birkenhead in each year since 1998, broken down by reason; and what percentage of JSA off-flow this represented in each case.

James Plaskitt: The information has been placed in the Library.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces Recruitment

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from Mid-Bedfordshire constituency have been recruited into the armed forces in each year since 1997.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Armoured Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1199–20W, on armoured vehicles, what the cost is of each complete base unit from Iveco.

Adam Ingram: The information requested cannot be provided given the confidential nature of the contract between BAE Systems Land Systems and Iveco.

Command and Liaison Vehicle

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what other designs were considered in the assessment phase for the Command and Liaison Vehicle.

Adam Ingram: Three designs were considered during the Assessment Phase for the United Kingdom's Command and Liaison Vehicle: Alvis Vehicles Ltd. proposed an IVECO Multi-role Light Vehicle (MLV); Vickers Defence Systems proposed a RG32M, and United Defence Limited Partnership proposed a ACMAT Ranger.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the duration is of Alan Garwood's appointment as Head of the Defence Export Services Organisation; and what his annual salary was in each year between 2001–02 and 2005–06.

Adam Ingram: Mr. Alan Garwood took up a three-year contract as the Head of Defence Export Services on 23 September 2002. This appointment has an option to extend and this has now been exercised with the contract extended by mutual agreement, for one year to 22 September 2006. Mr. Garwood, who is seconded from the defence industry, receives a civil service salary within the senior civil service pay band 3 (previously deputy secretary level), which as of April 2005 has a range between £93,139 and £198,197. Industry then pays an element that brings the salary to the level which the individual would otherwise receive in the commercial sector. This figure is agreed by the National Defence Industries Council.

Future Offensive Air System

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost has been of the Future Offensive Air System; and what the main components of this expenditure were.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 July 2005
	Research and technology work carried out as part of the Future Offensive Air System (FOAS) is being used in continuing work on future combat air systems. The total cost of FOAS to date is estimated to be £114 million. The main components are a range of targeted technology demonstrator programmes, studies into concepts for potential FOAS components, and technical support provided by DSTL and its predecessors.

Future Rapid Effects System

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many battalions will operate the medium weight Future Rapid Effects System vehicles; and how many of those vehicles there will be in each battalion.

Adam Ingram: Future Rapid Effects System vehicles will be used in the medium-weight mechanised brigades and are also expected to fulfil a number of roles in both heavy armoured and light brigades.
	The detailed fielding plans that will define which units will be equipped with FRES vehicles, and the numbers of vehicles to be allocated to individual units are currently being developed as part of the initial Assessment Phase.

Future Rapid Effects System

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies (a) expressed an interest in bidding for and (b) bid for provision of electric armour for the Future Rapid Effects System project; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Five companies expressed an interest in bidding for a contract to demonstrate electric armour technology. On completion of the assessment of these expressions of interest, two companies were invited to tender. Formal bids were received from both companies.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK forces had in Operation Spear in Iraq; whether the operation was fully co-ordinated with (a) Iraqi security forces and (b) the Iraqi Administration; what armaments were used in the operation; whether civilians lived in the area covered by the operation; what warning was given to civilians; what the Government's policy is on legal liability in joint military operations in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Operation Spear was a combined US-Iraqi security force anti-terrorist operation co-ordinated by US forces and the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. Detailed operational information is therefore a matter for the US or Iraqi authorities.
	Although there were no specific British plans to support the operation, three RAF Tornado GR4s on routine patrols in Iraq were tasked to respond to calls for close air support assistance from US forces during the course of the operation. Those UK aircraft did not expend any weapons in support of the operation.
	It is UK government policy on legal liability on combined operations in Iraq, that each nation would be directly liable for the consequences of actions taken by its own forces.

Iraq

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian contractors employed by the Department have died during their service in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan since 1997.

Adam Ingram: No officially accredited Ministry of Defence contractors have died on operations in Afghanistan or Iraq since the start of the current operations there, in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Military Bands

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many public performances military bands have given in each of the last three years; and which were free.

Don Touhig: Military bands undertake a large number of performances each year many of which are open to the public under a variety of arrangements. The level of detail sought in the question can be provided only at disproportionate cost as records are not held centrally.

RAF (Permanent Commissions)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of service (a) men and (b) women who successfully applied to sign on for a permanent commission in the RAF, broken down by (i)supply, (ii) administration and (iii) engineering in each of the last five years.

Don Touhig: The following figures show the numbers of personnel who converted from a short service commission to a permanent commission during the calendar years shown.
	
		
			  Engineer Supply Administration 
			  Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 2000 10 (1)— 10 (1)— 15 15 
			 2001 5 (1)— 10 (1)— 15 15 
			 2002  (1)— 5 (1)— 10 15 
			 2003 (1)— (1)— 5 (1)— 10 15 
			 2004 (1)— (1)— 5 0 0 (1)— 
		
	
	(1)—denotes a number less than 5.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

RAF Marham

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many BAE Systems staff work at RAF Marham servicing fast jets.

Adam Ingram: Currently, eight BAE Systems technicians are involved in the repair and maintenance of the Tornado GR4 aircraft at RAF Marham in Norfolk.
	In addition a further 25–35 BAE Systems personnel may be on-site at RAF Marham at any one time in support of the Tornado GR4. None of these people are however, directly involved in the repair and maintenance of aircraft.

RAF Marham

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment has been moved from Warton to RAF Manton to help service fast jets.

Adam Ingram: A small amount of surplus BAE Systems equipment racking and ground equipment has recently been moved from BAE Systems Warton to RAF Marham in Norfolk. The equipment will be used to support the repair and maintenance of Tornado GR4 aircraft.

Scottish Infantry Recruitment

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have left the Scottish Infantry Regiments since January; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: During the period 1 January to 30 April 2005 180 officers and soldiers left the Army Full-Time Trained strength from the Scottish Division of the Infantry. This comprises of 10 officers and 170 soldiers.

Tracked Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 442W, on tracked vehicles, what will happen to the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) vehicles when they are phased out in 2014.

Adam Ingram: It is intended to dispose of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) CVR(T) through the Disposal Services Agency (DSA).

Trident

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected cost of replacing Trident is, broken down by (a) initial cost and (b) annual running costs.

John Reid: No decisions on any replacement for the Trident system have yet been taken. It is therefore too early to say what might be the initial procurement costs or annual running costs of any replacement system.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Identity Cards

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of equipping Police Service of Northern Ireland premises with identity card readers.

Shaun Woodward: On 28 June 2005, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary placed in the Library a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the Identity Cards Scheme which shows that the benefits outweigh the costs once the scheme is fully operational. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has been contributing to this process. The cost of equipping premises will depend on the nature of the use of the Identity Cards Scheme and the type of identity check(s) necessary to deliver the business benefits. In some cases, benefits could be realised without the use of card readers and the cost of installing any readers needs to be considered alongside future plans to refresh or upgrade IT systems. As the design of the scheme matures, during and after the procurement exercise, so will our understanding of where the scheme will be of most benefit which will allow us to further refine our estimates of costs and benefits.

Identity Cards

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their Irish Government counterparts concerning the introduction of identity cards and the national data register in the United Kingdom and their effect upon the common travel area.

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	There is regular contact between Home Office officials and their counterparts in Ireland about the introduction of Identity Cards. The Home Secretary has met the Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and discussed the Government's plans with him.
	The principle of the common travel area, within which people of any nationality may travel without routine immigration checks, will remain unchanged. The area covers the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Litter

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to discourage the dropping of litter on streets; what penalties apply to this offence; and how many prosecutions there were in each council area in the last period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: It is an offence to drop litter under Article 3 of the Litter (Northern Ireland) Order 1994. A person guilty of such an offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale which currently stands at £2,500.
	A district council may, however, offer the person the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty. The amount of the fixed penalty was doubled last year to £50and proposals are included in the draft Local Government (NI) Order 2005 which is currently before Parliament to allow councils to retain these fines for spending on litter related activities.
	The Department of the Environment is also currently considering the range of measures in the recent Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which among other things, strengthen the legislation for dealing with litter in England and Wales, with a view to making recommendations on how they might be brought forward in the Northern Ireland context.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of prosecutions for littering in each council area.

Parades Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings of the Parades Commission there have been in each year since its formation; how many meetings each member of the Commission attended in each year; and whether that attendance was for (a) the whole and (b) part of the meeting.

Shaun Woodward: The Parades Commission has advised me that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Post-primary Education

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to implement the Costello proposals on post-primary education; and when he expects legislation to be placed before Parliament to implement those proposals.

Angela Smith: The recommendations of the report of the Post-Primary Review Working Group (the Costello Report) were accepted in full by Government in January 2004 and are currently being implemented. Action is under way in the following key areas.
	Strategic advice
	A strategic advisory group, comprising representatives of the managing authorities and other key education organisations, was established in June 2004 to advise the Department of Education on implementation issues, and has met on nine occasions to date.
	Admissions
	Options for new admission arrangements to post-primary schools, including admissions criteria that could be used by schools if they are oversubscribed, were published for consultation on 28 January 2005. The consultation ended on 30 June and decisions will be taken when the responses have been fully considered.
	Specialist Schools
	A conference on specialist schools, aimed at senior members of school management, was held in November 2004. A small-scale pilot to test the model in the Northern Ireland context is under consideration.
	Pupil Profile
	For the last two years the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has been developing a pupil profile which will help parents and children make appropriate choices at transfer stage. A large-scale pilot of year 5 pupils is planned for 2006–07.
	Entitlement Framework
	Guidance issued to schools in June 2005 to help them to begin to plan for the move to the full curricular entitlement framework, to ensure that it is delivered to all pupils. Additional funding has been provided to education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools to support and facilitate schools to begin to deliver the entitlement framework. Further guidance is expected to issue in autumn 2005 which will deal with practical issues in the delivery of the framework and will be informed by evaluation evidence from the first phase of the Vocational Enhancement Programme in 2004–05, an initiative funded by the Departments of Education and Employment and Learning to develop models of collaborative working between schools and further education colleges and disseminate good practice. Further collaborative projects are being funded in 2005–06.
	Funding has also been provided for a number of e-learning pilots and for the development of new vocational qualifications.
	6th forms
	Guidance was issued to schools about new arrangements requiring proposals for the establishment of new 6th forms to be the subject of statutory development proposals.
	Legislation
	Primary legislation necessary to give effect to the new arrangements is expected to be laid before Parliament in spring 2006.

Police Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average Police Service of Northern Ireland emergency response time was in each policing district in each of the past 18 months; and what steps are being taken to improve response times.

Shaun Woodward: Recording of response times commenced on 1 April 2005. The current Policing Plan requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland to work towards establishing a baseline for measuring police response times to emergency calls. Work is ongoing to establish how this might be achieved, and a report will be made at the end of the financial year. Improvement in response times cannot be measured until this baseline is established.

Police Service

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilian workers in security jobs at Police Service of Northern Ireland stations have been given training with weapons.

Shaun Woodward: No civilian workers in security jobs at PSNI stations have been given training with weapons as part of their role.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Elections

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of complaints made by voters concerning their votes being cast illegitimately by someone other than themselves during the general election 2005.

Harriet Harman: My Department has received no complaints from voters alleging that their votes were cast illegitimately by someone other than themselves during the 2005 general election.
	Our advice to any person who suspects that electoral malpractice may have taken place, is that they should report their suspicions to their local police force.

Elections

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many postal votes were received by returning officers after the polling day of the 2005 general election, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Harriet Harman: Returning officers have a duty to complete a 'statement as to postal ballot papers' for each election (form K, schedule 3 to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001). This includes the total of postal ballot papers that arrived too late to be included in the count.
	The Electoral Commission will collate and publish this information later this summer, as part of their general duty to report on UK parliamentary elections.

Elections

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the Commonwealth countries that have reciprocal agreements with the UK over residential qualifications for voting in (a) local elections and (b) national elections.

Harriet Harman: The Representation of the People Act 1983 provides that all Commonwealth citizens who are lawfully resident in the UK are entitled to vote in parliamentary and local elections. Decisions about voting rights of British citizens resident in other Commonwealth countries are for the individual countries concerned.

Elections

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of the voting electorate voted by (a) post and (b) proxy in the last general election, broken down by constituency.

Harriet Harman: Returning Officers have a duty to complete a 'statement as to postal ballot papers' for each election (form K, schedule 3 to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001). This includes the total number of postal votes issued and subsequently returned.
	The Electoral Commission will collate and publish this information later this summer, as part of their general duty to report on UK parliamentary elections. The report will also include figures on proxy voting.

Freedom of Information Act

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what provisional assessment was made of the likely implications for (a) staffing and (b) expenditure of applications to the National Archives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for copies of personal details from households listed in the 1911 decennial Census for England and Wales.

Harriet Harman: Section 41 of the FOI Act relating to breach of confidence has been applied to all applications received since January 2005 to view individual 1911 census returns. The National Archives is currently developing plans including staff development and expenditure allocations to make the 1911 census publicly available in 2012 in line with government policy to release decennial census returns after a period of 100 years.

Public Records Act

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Public Records Act 1958 extended 100-year closure of the 1911 decennial census for England and Wales still applies.

Harriet Harman: Since January 2005 the section 41 exemption of the FOI Act relating to breach of confidence has been applied to all applications received to view individual 1911 census returns. It remains government policy to make census returns publicly available after a period of 100 years.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ahmadi Muslim Community

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of (a) Pakistan and (b) Bangladesh on the persecution of the Ahmadi Muslim community; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan, including our concerns about the experiences of religious minorities including the Ahmadi community. We judge that collective action through the EU is the most effective method of voicing these concerns. The EU most recently demarched the Government of Pakistan on these subjects on 30 June 2005.
	We are concerned by the apparent increase in intolerance towards religious minorities in Bangladesh, including the Ahmadi community. We regularly raise these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh, both bilaterally and with EU partners. My hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Douglas Alexander) did so with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on a visit to Dhaka on 21 December. The local EU presidency did so most recently during a call on the Bangladeshi Home Minister on 14 May.

Chechnya

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions the Government have held with the Russian Government regarding its military involvement in Chechnya.

Douglas Alexander: We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Chechnya. We are especially concerned about the culture of impunity, with continuing reports of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and torture. We frequently raise our concerns with the Russian Government, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. These include concerns about the military component of Russia's response to the problems in Chechnya. Bilaterally, we most recently discussed Chechnya in depth during the UK-Russia Human Rights dialogue on 23 May, when we expressed our belief that effective maintenance of security and actions to counter terrorism should be pursued within a framework that respects human rights and international humanitarian law. We also discussed Chechnya during the EU-Russia human rights consultations held in March 2005.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 26 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mohammad Chaudhary.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 26 May concerning Mr. Mohammad Chaudhary on 13 June. UKvisas re-sent a copy of this letter on 6 July.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 19 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mukhtar Ali.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to my earlier reply of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 181W. A further copy of our reply has been forwarded to my right hon. Friend's constituency office for information.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will replyto the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 26 May to the Home Office which was subsequently transferred to his Department, regarding a constituent.

Kim Howells: holding answer 11 July 2005
	My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) replied to my hon. Friend on 7 July.

Corruption

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in overseas governments about reducing corruption related to the arms trade.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held recent discussions with counterparts specifically on the subject of corruption in the arms trade. However, the Government are committed to working for an international treaty covering the trade in conventional arms and Ministers and officials are pursuing this objective actively in bilateral contacts as well as in multilateral fora, including at the recent meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers.

Council of Europe Youth Foundation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activities of the Council of Europe's Youth Foundation.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The European Youth Foundation (EYF) is a fund established in 1972 by the Council of Europe to provide financial support for youth activities in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. In 2003, with a budget of approximately €3 million, the EYF supported some 320 projects involving more than 15,000 young people.

Kyrgyzstan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to establish the welfare of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens in Djalabad's refugee camps.

Douglas Alexander: Our Ambassador, James Sharp, who is accredited to Kyrgyzstan, has visited the country twice since early June 2005. On the first occasion, he publicly emphasised the importance of the Kyrgyz Government's honouring its international commitments on refugees. Both the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and National Security Council Chairman assured him that the Government would do so. Mr. Sharp also met the local United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives to review the refugee situation.
	The handing of four Uzbek refugees to the Andizhan Prosecutor on 9 June appears to have been a clear breach of the Kyrgyz Government's obligations. As a result, on 21 June we, acting with our EU partners, delivered a demarche to the Kyrgyz Government over its treatment of refugees, insisting that it abided by its commitments to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees.
	Mr. Sharp visited the refugee camps in Jalalabad on 6 July. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and press the Kyrgyz Government to comply with its international responsibilities.

Eastern Europe

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those UK non-governmental organisations which are funded to promote information exchanges with Eastern Europe.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is engaged in a wide range of activities in Eastern Europe which could be classed as information exchange, including political work, sponsored and other working visits, public diplomacy activity, scholarship schemes, shorter-term fellowships and project work. Some of these activities are carried out by or with a range of UK non-governmental organisations, and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) such as the British Council, the BBC World Service, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe and various British universities.

EU Constitution

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on (a) direct UK and (b) European Commission involvement in the ratification process of the EU constitution by individual member states by means of (i) official visits and (ii) funding for information projects; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Individual member states are responsible for their own ratification of the EU constitutional treaty, including the organisation of official visits and the allocation of funds for information projects. The Institutions of the European Union are responsible for their own communications activities. The Government are in contact with the European Parliament and the European Commission about their EU communications activities.

EU Constitution

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the requirement under Article III-305 of the EU constitution for the United Kingdom to present a common EU position at NATO meetings where such a position has been reached; and by what mechanism the EU Foreign Minister would be permitted to address the meeting on his request.

Douglas Alexander: Article III-305, or any other article in the EU constitutional treaty, would not require the UK alone or any other member state to present the common EU position in NATO meetings. But Article III-305 would require all member states, including the UK, to uphold previously agreed positions in other international organisations. This provision has existed since Maastricht. Because we have a veto on foreign and defence policy, these EU positions would have been previously agreed by us.
	There is no provision in the constitutional treaty for the EU Foreign Minister to request to address a meeting in NATO. However, Article III-296.2 of the EU constitutional treaty makes clear that he or she would represent agreed positions of the EU in international meetings and at international conferences, acting on behalf of the European Union. Where the EU and NATO engage in dialogue which helps develop their strategic partnership—for example in the regular meetings between the Political and Security Committee and the North Atlantic Council—the EU Foreign Minister would present the EU policies, which we would have agreed to. This mirrors the current arrangement where the presidency presents agreed positions. The UK would, of course, be represented in both its UK and EU seats.

EU Constitution

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the requirement under Article III-305 of the EU constitution for the United Kingdom to present a common EU position at Commonwealth meetings where such a position has been reached; and by what mechanism the EU Foreign Minister would be permitted to address the meeting on his request.

Douglas Alexander: Neither Article III-305, nor any other article in the EU constitutional treaty, would require the UK alone or any other member state to present the common EU position in Commonwealth meetings. But Article III-305 would require all member states, including the UK, to uphold previously agreed positions in other international organisations. This provision has existed since Maastricht. Because we have a veto on foreign and defence policy, these EU positions would have been previously agreed by us. In the Commonwealth, this requirement would apply to the UK, Malta and Cyprus.
	There is no provision in the constitutional treaty for the EU Foreign Minister to request to address a Commonwealth meeting. However, Article III-296.2 of the EU constitutional treaty makes it clear that he or she would represent agreed positions of the EU in international meetings and at international conferences, acting on behalf of the European Union. So, for example, if the members of the Commonwealth were to hold a joint meeting with the European Union, the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs could represent the European Union if the meeting was relevant to his/her external portfolio. The European Union is not a member of the Commonwealth and the UK would continue to represent itself in Commonwealth meetings.

EU Constitution

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those EU countries that have indicated a willingness to continue ratifying the EU constitution; and whether ratification would be made by (a) Parliament and (b) after a plebiscite in each case.

Douglas Alexander: Belgium, Malta and Estonia intend to proceed with parliamentary ratification of the EU constitutional treaty. Luxembourg held a referendum on 10 July. The Czech Republic intends to proceed with ratification of the EU constitutional treaty by referendum, although the requisite enabling legislation has yet to be passed and the Government have announced that any ratification is unlikely before mid 2006. The Irish Government have announced that they will not set a date for their referendum. Poland has not decided how, if at all, to proceed with ratification and the Polish President has said that a referendum in 2005 looks unrealistic". The Swedish Government have announced that they will seek to postpone their parliamentary ratification process and the Finnish Government have postponed parliamentary ratification. The Danish and Portuguese Governments have postponed their referendums. The treaty was approved by Parliament in Cyprus on 30 June.

EU Membership

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the factors underlying each of the Copenhagen criteria by which a candidate country would be assessed for membership of the EU.

Douglas Alexander: The Copenhagen criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, a functioning market economy, and that the state accepts the obligations and intent of the EU. The EU have not set out explicit factors underlying these criteria. It is the responsibility of the Commission to advise on whether the criteria are met and then for member states to confirm this advice.

EU Transparency

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of the principle of transparency in EU (a) whistleblower cases and (b) working committees.

Douglas Alexander: Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union provides that decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen. The EU institutions, when dealing with both whistleblower cases and working committees, apply the EU's general rules on transparency.
	Regulation 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council provides for public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. Under the Regulation, all official documents are accessible except when disclosure would infringe a specific public or private interest. All decisions refusing even partial access to a document may be the subject of an administrative appeal to the institution concerned. If not satisfied, applicants for information may then institute court proceedings, or appeal to the European Ombudsman.
	Various working committees and groups operate under the auspices of the Council (under Article 19(3) of the Council's rules of procedure). The Council General Secretariat updates and publishes a list of such bodes. The documents of working committees can be made directly accessible to the public in accordance with Article 11 of Annex II of the Council's Rules of Procedure. (These are easily accessible on the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int/docCenter.asp?lang=en&cm sid=245)

European Union

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs below what minimum share of the popular vote sustaining a Government a country would be assessed as no longer a functioning democracy for the purposes of the Copenhagen criteria applied to membership of the European Union.

Douglas Alexander: The Copenhagen criteria require that a candidate country have
	stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities"
	in order to open negotiations. The Copenhagen criteria do not specify a minimum share of the popular vote sustaining a Government necessary for a country to be considered democratic. The Commission is responsible for advising whether the Copenhagen criteria are met and will look at the individual circumstances of each country in reaching its assessment.

European Union

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the basis is of the statement by the Minister for Europe in his letter to the Financial Times on 22 June regarding the cost to the UK of the EU budget proposed by the Luxembourg presidency at the European Council.

Douglas Alexander: The €25 billion figure was based on the final Luxembourg proposal on 17 June regarding own resources on the revenue side of the EU budget. That proposal would have excluded all community expenditure other than new member states' market related expenditure and direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy from the calculation of the UK abatement. It also proposed other adjustments to the own resources decision so as to reduce the net contributions to the community budget of Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. The combined effect of these changes would have meant that over the 2007 to 2013 period, the UK net contribution to the Community Budget i.e. the UK's gross contribution less the abatement and UK public and private-sector receipts would have been approximately €25 billion higher than it would have been if the current own resources system continued unchanged.

Fissile Missile Cut-off Treaty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on negotiations concerning the Fissile Missile Cut-off Treaty.

Kim Howells: The UK has a long-standing commitment to conclude negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The UK remains committed to pushing forward substantive work on this treaty at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and has been pressing for negotiations to begin as soon as possible and without pre-conditions. We regret that this has not been agreed to date.

France (Gypsies)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the French Government concerning its treatment of indigenous Gypsies.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the French Government on this issue but officials remain in regular contact on the full range of social and human rights issues. The human rights of members of the Roma community are protected by the core international human rights instruments, to which France is a party.

G8 Summit

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure agreements reached at the G8 summit in Perthshire this week recognise the location of the summit by referring to them as the Perthshire Declaration or Perthshire Accord.

Ian Pearson: The G8 Summit was held at the Gleneagles Hotel and will be known as the G8 Gleneagles Summit. Documents issued during the summit will reflect this.

Human Rights Council

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on non-governmental organisations having a specific role as part of the peer review process proposed for the Human Rights Council.

Ian Pearson: If peer review is an element of the future Council's work, reports from NGOs should provide an important source of information for consideration in the process. More generally, we are strongly in favour of NGO participation in any Council being maintained at the same or greater level as in the Commission on Human Rights, and are working with our EU partners to ensure this is achieved.

Human Rights Council

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the UN Secretary General's proposal to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council.

Ian Pearson: The UK fully supports the Secretary-General's proposal to raise the profile, status and effectiveness of the main intergovernmental human rights forum in the UN system through replacing the Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council. We believe it should be on the same footing as the Security Council and Economic and Social Council, with a clear mandate to address urgent human rights situations as and when they arise.

Inter Institutional Agreement on Better Lawmaking

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Inter Institutional Agreement on (a) business and (b) job creation.

Douglas Alexander: The 2003 Inter Institutional Agreement on Better Lawmaking provides a framework for taking forward elements of the Better Regulation agenda which require co-operation between Community institutions. These include simplifying and reducing the volume of legislation and using impact assessment for significant Council and Parliament amendments. Improving the regulatory environment in Europe and reducing the burden of regulation on business will make a real contribution to increasing European competitiveness. Dutch studies predicted that reducing their national administrative burden by 25 per cent. could result in an increase of 1.5 per cent. in Dutch Gross Domestic Product.

Iraq

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) role, (b) mandate, (c) budget, (d) diplomatic status, (e) level of support available from British diplomats, (f) personal security arrangements and (g) level of access to classified documents of the Secretary General/High Representative of the EU for Iraq.

Douglas Alexander: There is no EU Secretary General/High Representative for Iraq.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice and assistance the Government have provided on oil policy to the Government of Iraq since June 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Since June 2004 the UK Government have provided policy advice and support to Iraq on oil matters in two areas.
	In August 2004 the UK Government handed an outline document to the Iraq Ministry of Oil (MoO) on transparency and business ethics. The purpose was to familiarise the MoO with international initiatives aimed at improving transparency and the importance of good practice.
	The UK has also been involved with assisting the MoO on education and training issues, delivered through the UK-Iraq Joint Board on Education and Training, established in December 2003. This includes work on a Learning Needs Analysis, English Language Training, IT Strategy, and Human Resources Procedures.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the fiscal and regulatory frameworks for the Iraqi oil industry prepared by the Government and referred to in paragraph 11 of the Response of the Secretary of State to the Seventh Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee session 2003–04, on Foreign Policy Aspects of the War Against Terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We discuss with the Iraqi Ministries their priorities on a regular basis. We had intended to prepare a paper for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil (MoO) on regulatory frameworks, but following discussion with them decided to reprioritise the funding. We are therefore not able to place a copy of the fiscal and regulatory frameworks for the oil industry in the Library of the House.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him today (UIN 11481) on the areas the UK has assisted the MoO on oil policy since June 2004. We are continuing to discuss with the MoO how we can help them develop an oil industry that is transparent and efficiently run.

Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports (a) NATO and (b) the Government have received regarding whether Israel possesses weapons of mass destruction.

Kim Howells: The Government are not able to answer on behalf of NATO. We are of course aware of the widespread assumption that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but note too that the Israeli Government have refused to confirm it.

Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East.

Kim Howells: The United Kingdom strongly supports the establishment of a zone free from all Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East. The UK, together with the Russian Federation and United States, sponsored the Resolution on the Middle East agreed at the 1995 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference which included a call for the establishment of a such a zone.

Sir Donald Tsang

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer to Question 6623, what the Government's policy is on the use of Sir Donald Tsang's title.

Ian Pearson: There is no Government Policy on the use of Donald Tsang's title, which derives from the KBE awarded to him in 1997 for his 30-year service to Hong Kong. It is for the individual concerned to decide whether they use or wish to be known by their title.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Sudan regarding (a) the use of torture in Sudan, (b) summary arrest without trial, (c) the treatment of minorities outside Darfur and (d) the treatment of opposition parties in Sudan.

Ian Pearson: We make regular representations to the Government of Sudan on human rights, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums such as the EU-Sudan Human Rights dialogue and the sub-Joint Implementation Mechanism meetings on human rights. On 30 June we emphasised to senior Sudanese government and judicial officials the importance of human rights. The discussions covered a wide range of subjects including the use of torture and treatment of minorities.
	We regularly raise with the Government of Sudan the importance of fully implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the new Interim National Constitution which make explicit provisions for the protection of human rights, fair trial and free speech. We intend to take forward these issues as part of our EU presidency.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) fairness and (b) effectiveness of the Sudanese judicial system.

Ian Pearson: The UK makes regular representations to the Government of Sudan on the need to ensure its judicial process is fair and transparent, and we have raised our concerns on a number of individual cases. We are pleased that, under the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the parties have committed themselves to a comprehensive review of the Sudanese judicial system, and to guaranteeing free and fair trials for all. The UK will play a leading role in supporting reform of the Sudanese justice sector. As part of our £7.2 million programme in this area, we are assisting the National Judicial Service Commission, which monitors reform.
	The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur set up by the UN Secretary-General cited shortcomings in the Sudanese criminal justice system and concluded that the Sudanese judiciary were unable or unwilling to carry out prosecutions in relation to the crimes in Darfur. UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of 31 March 2005, which we sponsored, therefore referred Darfur to the International Criminal Court. In the Prosecutor's first report to the Security Council on 19 June, he said he had sufficient grounds for a formal investigation. The decision was, in part, based on the absence of Sudanese legal proceedings relating to the cases the Prosecutor is likely to focus on.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) treatment of prisoners and (b) safety of political dissidents in Sudan;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the prospect for fair and humane treatment of political activists and dissidents in Khartoum.

Ian Pearson: We make regular representations to the Government of Sudan regarding the treatment of prisoners and the release of political detainees. We welcome the release on 30 June of 29 political prisoners, among them the leader of the Popular Congress Party Dr. Hassan al-Turabi and General Secretary of the Beja Congress Abdulla Musa. We continue to press the Government of Sudan to release those political detainees still held.
	Under the terms of the Interim National Constitution, signed on 6 June 2005, and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed on 9 January 2005, the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, expression and association are guaranteed to all. They also guarantee freedom from discrimination on any grounds, including for political or other opinions. We continue to urge the parties to implement fully the CPA and to ensure that swift progress is made on the provisions on human rights.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent peace deal for Darfur, with specific reference to the security situation; and how this peace deal relates to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2004.

Ian Pearson: We welcome the signature on 5 July in Abuja, of the Declaration of Principles for the resolution of the conflict in Darfur. We congratulate the parties on this achievement, and commend the African Union (AU)-led mediation team for its efforts. This is an important step. It is the first document agreed by the parties to the Darfur conflict that deals with political, rather than humanitarian and security, issues. Although not a peace deal in itself, it sets the framework within which the negotiations towards such a deal should proceed. We are pressing the parties to return to Abuja on 24 August, the date set for resumption of talks by the AU Special Envoy Salim Salim, and to negotiate in good faith, towards a full political agreement, necessary to achieve peace in Darfur. Such an agreement will need to be complementary to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in Nairobi on 9 January. We also continue to insist that the parties abide by the commitments they have already made to improve the security situation in Darfur, notably the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement and the Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Khartoum for Darfuri citizens;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the risks to the safety of black African Darfuris in Khartoum.

Ian Pearson: There are over a million Darfuris in Khartoum, many of them Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We and our international partners closely monitor the living conditions of IDPs including those from other parts of the Sudan, for example through participation in the recently formed Consultative Committee on Re-planning Areas of Displacement in Khartoum. We are constantly pressing the Government of Sudan to improve conditions for IDPs, including Darfuris. We have no information that the conditions for black African Darfuri IDPs are worse than those for any other IDPs.

UK Consular Services

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the British consulate-general in (a) Hamburg and (b) Munich; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Following the announcement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 15 December 2004, Official Report, columns 137–40WS about changes to the UK's network of overseas representation, officials have been reviewing how we can provide trade, consular and other services in Germany most cost-effectively, and finalising recommendations about the precise size and structure of the British consulates in that country. The results of this work will be made public when it is finished.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the UK Ambassador to Tashkent last met the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov.

Douglas Alexander: David Moran, our Ambassador to Tashkent, presented his credentials to President Karimov on 8 June 2005. The meeting was largely ceremonial. Earlier in the day, in a meeting with Foreign Minister Ganiev, Mr. Moran had said that were the opportunity to arise, he would look to discuss two principal points with the President: firstly, Mr. Karimov's concrete plans for the reforms mentioned in his 28 January speech to Parliament, and secondly, the question of allowing an international independent inquiry into the events of 12–13 May in Andizhan. In the event, President Karimov raised these issues himself, sticking to well-known Uzbek positions on both.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the results were of the 15 May meeting between the UK Ambassador to Tashkent and the Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister, Nematov on political and economic reform; and what actions have resulted from this meeting.

Douglas Alexander: Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Nematov requested a meeting with our Ambassador to Tashkent, David Moran, following my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's 14 May statement on Andizhan. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. Mr. Moran told Mr. Nematov that a peaceful solution to the Andizhan situation would need to be accompanied by progress on both economic and political reforms. He noted that Uzbek President Karimov had mentioned such reforms in his 28 January 2005 speech to Parliament. A number of decrees have been issued in June by the Uzbek Government, which if implemented, might reduce the burden on businesses, for example by reducing the scope for official inspections.
	Uzbek Foreign Minister Ganiev has undertaken to discuss these areas with EU Heads of Mission in Tashkent. We look forward to this opportunity for dialogue towards reform. In the meantime Mr. Moran has also had meetings with both the Deputy Interior Minister to discuss prison reforms, and the Deputy Justice Minister to discuss judicial reform and the abolition of the death penalty.

TREASURY

ATMs

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in the numbers of fee-charging ATMs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether the LINK interchange fee is sufficient to cover ATM transactions;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the ability of people in rural areas to gain access to cash without incurring charges;
	(4)  if he will make it his policy to (a) cap charges made by ATM machines at £1.50 and (b) ensure that all non-financial ATM transactions remain free;
	(5)  whether the Treasury plans to assess the effectiveness of LINK rules introduced on 1 July to improve signage on fee-charging ATMs;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the likely level of charges that would be incurred by consumers in a year if charges were to be introduced for withdrawing cash from all ATMs;
	(7)  what assessment he has made of the ability of elderly people to gain access to cash without incurring charges;
	(8)  what discussions Her Majesty's Treasury has had with LINK regarding consumer representation on its board;
	(9)  if he will make it his policy to track and publish trends in the growth of fee-charging transactions at ATMs; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government have been closely monitoring the situation regarding ATM charges and will continue to do so. This includes monitoring the effectiveness of LINK rules on signage and regular discussion of relevant issues with LINK and other interested parties. The Office of Fair Trading's Payment Systems Task Force, established to address competition problems in payment systems, is about to start work on LINK Access and Governance.
	We believe it is important that people are able to obtain cash free of charge. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of surcharging ATMs in the UK. However, statistics on the number of withdrawals at these ATMs indicate that most are to be found in locations where there are only a low number of transactions and where interchange fees would therefore be insufficient to cover the operating costs of the ATM, were it to offer free withdrawals. The Government believes that direct regulation of retail prices should only be a last resort, implemented where it has been very clearly established that competition is not feasible, or where a monopoly supplier would be the most efficient option.
	Overall, relatively few withdrawals are made at charging machines. Over 96 per cent. of withdrawals are free of charge to consumers and there are over 30,000 free ATMs in the UK. The number of free ATMs is still increasing and the Government does not see any reason to believe that free ATMs are under threat. There are also alternative ways to obtain free access to cash. Many of the major banks now offer their customers free over-the-counter withdrawals at the Post Office and 'Cash Back' is widely available in supermarkets and shops.
	The Government have responded to the Treasury Select Committee's recent report on cash machine charges (Treasury Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2004–05) and the Treasury Committee is expected to publish the response shortly, once it has been re-appointed following the general election. The Government's response to the Treasury Select Committees' report sets out policy on the issue in more detail.

Bedfordshire (Statistics)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth unemployment were in (i) the county of Bedfordshire and (ii) the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. I am replying in his absence. (11009)
	Table 1 attached shows the numbers of long-term adult unemployed (over 12 months) and long-term youth (aged 16 to 24) unemployed in the county of Bedfordshire, for the periods ending in February each year from 1998 to 2004, the latest period for which data are available. Table 2 shows similar information for the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency. These estimates are based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which as with any sample survey is subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for local areas. Tables 3 and 4 attached show the annual average number of adult Job Seeker's Allowance claimants, claiming for over 12 months, and the corresponding number of Job Seeker's Allowance claimants aged 18 to 24 (claiming for over 12 months) resident in the county of Bedfordshire and Mid- Bedfordshire respectively for each year from 1997 to 2004.
	The data in tables 3 and 4 are published on the Office for National Statistics Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Table 1: Numbers of long-term unemployed (over 12 months) resident in the county of Bedfordshire
		
			 Thousands 
			 12 months ending February All Youth (aged 16–24) 
		
		
			 1998 n/a n/a 
			 1999 3 (2)—; 
			 2000 2 (2)—; 
			 2001 1 (2)—; 
			 2002 1 (2)—; 
			 2003 1 (2)—; 
			 2004 2 1 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(2) Zero or disclosive sample size.
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey Data not available.
	
		Table 2: Numbers of long-term unemployed (over 12 months) resident in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency
		
			 Thousands 
			 12 months ending February All Youth (aged 16–24) 
		
		
			 1998 n/a n/a 
			 1999 1 (3)—; 
			 2000 (3)—; (3)—; 
			 2001 (3)—; (3)—; 
			 2002 (3)—; (3)—; 
			 2003 (3)—; (3)—; 
			 2004 (3)—; (3)—; 
		
	
	n/a=Data not available.
	(3) Zero or disclosive sample size.
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 3: Numbers of JSA claimants (claiming over 12 months) resident in the county of Bedfordshire
		
			 Annual averages All Youth (aged 18–24) 
		
		
			 1997 1,635 230 
			 1998 1,015 120 
			 1999 780 30 
			 2000 605 15 
			 2001 555 10 
			 2002 510 10 
			 2003 540 10 
			 2004 520 20 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data rounded to nearest 5 (disclosure control).
	2. Computerised claims only.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system
	
		Table 4: Numbers of JSA claimants (claiming over 12 months) resident in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency
		
			 Annual averages All ages Youth (aged 18–24) 
		
		
			 1997 245 30 
			 1998 135 15 
			 1999 120 5 
			 2000 85 0 
			 2001 75 0 
			 2002 70 0 
			 2003 80 0 
			 2004 60 0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data rounded to nearest 5 (disclosure control).
	2. Computerised claims only.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Bedfordshire (Statistics)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many primary school-aged children there are expected to be in (a) Bedfordshire local education authority and (b) the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in each of the next five academic years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Jil Matheson to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of primary school age children there are predicted to be in Bedfordshire Local Education Authority and the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire for the next five academic years. I am replying in his absence. (11011)
	Table 1 shows the mid-year population of 5–11 year olds in the County of Bedfordshire taken from the official 2003-based Sub-national Population Projections for England. The projections are produced by Local Authority area and so data at a Local Education Area can only be provided if the areas are coterminous, which in this case they are. These population projections are demographic trend-based projections that indicate what the population levels of an area are likely to be if recently observed trends in fertility, mortality and migration were to continue. They take no account of future development which may affect trends.
	Unfortunately, the Mid Bedfordshire Parliamentary Constituency area is not coterminous with the Local Authority areas—it covers parts of Mid Bedfordshire District and South Bedfordshire District and so it is not possible to provide projection data for this area.
	
		Table 1: Bedfordshire projected population of (4)primaryschool age children
		
			  Thousands 
		
		
			 2005 35.3 
			 2006 34.9 
			 2007 34.5 
			 2008 34.3 
			 2009 34.3 
			 2010 34.4 
		
	
	(4) Primary school age defined as 5 to 11-year–olds.
	Source:
	ONS 2003-based Subnational population projections

Bedfordshire (Statistics)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners lived in the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioners lived in the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in the last year for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (11012)
	Mid-year population estimates are not available for Parliamentary Constituencies. I have therefore provided figures taken from the 2001 Census.
	The table below shows the number of people of pensionable age living in Mid-Bedfordshire constituency on Census day (29 April 2001). The figures have been extracted from Table CAS002 on the CD supplement to the Census 2001 Census Area Statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales", which is available on request from Census Customer Services (census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk).
	
		Total number of people, and those of pensionable age living in Mid-Bedfordshire constituency on Census day (29 April 2001)
		
			 England 
			 Area All people People of pensionable age(5) 
		
		
			 Mid-Bedfordshire 92,855 14,492 
		
	
	(5) Pensionable Age is 65 and over for males and 60 and over for females
	Source:
	2001 Census Report for Parliamentary Constituencies

Bedfordshire (Statistics)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in employment in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency in April of each year since 2000.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. I am replying in his absence. (11013)
	Table 1 attached shows the number of employed persons, aged 16 and over, resident in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency for the periods ending in February each year from 2000 to 2004, the latest period for which data are available. These estimates are based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
	The data are published on the Office for National Statistics Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Table 1: Number of persons aged 16 and over in employment resident in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency
		
			 12 months ending February Thousand 
		
		
			 2000 44 
			 2001 49 
			 2002 50 
			 2003 52 
			 2004 58 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey

Bedfordshire (Statistics)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer of how many deaths in (a) the county of Bedfordshire and (b) the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire alcohol was the primary cause in each year since 2000.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking in respect of how many deaths in (a) the county of Bedfordshire and (b) the constituency of Mid- Bedfordshire alcohol was the primary cause in each year since 2000. I am replying in his absence. (11015)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. The attached table shows the numbers of deaths among residents of the County of Bedfordshire and Mid Bedfordshire Parliamentary Constituency where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in the years 2000 to 2004.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(6) to usual residents of the county of Bedfordshire(7) and Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency, registered 2000 to 2004
		
			 Number of deaths 
			  Bedfordshire Mid Bedfordshire 
		
		
			 2000 28 6 
			 2001 32 9 
			 2002 28 7 
			 2003 40 9 
			 2004 34 9 
		
	
	(6) For the year 2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed below:
	291—Alcoholic psychoses
	303—Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0—Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571—Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860—Accidental poisoning by alcohol
	For the years 2001–04 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were used:
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease
	K73—Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74—Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45—Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
	(7) Figures provided relate to the current county of Bedfordshire. This excludes the unitary authority of Luton, created in 1997, which was part of the former county.
	The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A and Rooney C (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 5–14".

Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates

Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish a central record of applications for replacement certificates for births, marriages and deaths.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Dennis Roberts to Anne Milton, dated 12 July 2005
	The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your question asking if a central record of applications for replacement certificates for birth, marriage and death with be established. I am replying in his absence. (11409)
	By law, anyone who can provide sufficient information to identify a register entry can buy a certified copy of that entry (certificate) from the General Register Office (GRO) or the Register Office where the event took place.
	Annually, approximately 4.6 million certificates are issued by the local registration service from 366 offices and a further 2 million certificates issued by the General Register Office. Due to the number of providers and scale of the applications received, there are no plans to record application details on a central database.

Breast Cancer

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence of breast cancer per 1,000 women has been in (a) England, (b) the county of Bedfordshire and (c) Mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in each year since 1990.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the incidence of breast cancer per 1,000 women has been in (a) England, (b) the County of Bedfordshire and (c) Mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in each year since 1990. I am replying in his absence. (11104)
	The most recent available figures for the incidence of female breast cancer are for the year 2002. Age-standardised incidence rates (directly standardised to the European standard population) for England and the current county of Bedfordshire in each year since 1990 are given in the attached table. The rates have been provided per 100,000 women to assist the interpretation of the trends. Incidence rates are not available centrally for Parliamentary Constituencies.
	
		Directly age-standardised incidence rates1 of female breast2 cancer per 100,000 women in England and Bedfordshire, 1990–2002
		
			  England Bedfordshire(10) 
		
		
			 1990 98.9 102.6 
			 1991 105.3 109.1 
			 1992 106.6 152.6 
			 1993 101.5 109.5 
			 1994 103.7 121.2 
			 1995 103.9 115.0 
			 1996 105.1 97.9 
			 1997 108.1 159.4 
			 1998 112.7 139.8 
			 1999 116.5 101.6 
			 2000 113.8 119.5 
			 2001 114.5 123.9 
			 2002 114.0 109.7 
		
	
	(8) Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population are directly standardised to the European standard population. In detailed analyses of trends in incidence and mortality over time for a particular cancer, ONS use age-standardised rates. These control for differences in the size and age structure of the population and allow unbiased comparison of rates over time.
	(9) From 1990 to 1994, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 174; from 1995 to 2002, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C50.
	(10) Figures provided relate to the current county of Bedfordshire. This excludes the unitary authority of Luton, created in 1997, which was part of the former county.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Census

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any person sued the Registrar General in the English courts for breach of confidence for releasing personal information from the closed 1901 decennial census for England and Wales between 1975 and 1996.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Dennis Roberts to Lorley Burt, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many persons sued the Registrar General in the English courts for breach of confidence for releasing personal information from the closed 1901 decennial census for England and Wales between 1975 and 1996. I am replying in his absence. (11652)
	There have been no instances of court action against the Registrar General for breach of confidence for releasing personal information from the 1901 decennial census for England and Wales between 1975 and 1996.

Expenditure and Revenue (Scotland)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total relative surplus or deficit of Government expenditure and revenue in Scotland, (a) including and (b) excluding the gross domestic product share of the United Kingdom surplus or deficit of the general Government borrowing requirement, for each year since 1978–79, assuming a constant relationship between the Scottish deficit, as published in the Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2002–03, and the United Kingdom general Government borrowing requirement, excluding privatisation proceeds and North Sea revenues and including in Scotland's revenue total a 90 per cent. share of North Sea oil revenue and a gross domestic product share of privatisation proceeds.

Des Browne: The Treasury does not produce a breakdown of aggregate revenue and borrowing by country and region. Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland" is produced by the Scottish Executive.

Hiatt Handcuffs

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Customs investigation into large Hiatt handcuffs is expected to be concluded.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs expect the investigation to be concluded very soon.

Hospital-acquired Infections

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Office for National Statistics will have available statistics to show the number of deaths attributable to Clostridium difficile in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 16 June 2005
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Lidington, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will have available statistics to show the number of deaths attributable to Clostridium difficile in 2004. I am replying in his absence. (5037)
	In the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), deaths involving enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile can all be identified from the code A04.7. Enterocolitis is the commonest illness caused by C. difficile infection. For causes other than enterocolitis that are also known to be associated with C. difficile, it is not possible to identify from ICD codes alone the number of deaths where C. difficile actually contributed to the death. For this reason, the only routinely available mortality statistics on C. difficile are those where it was associated with enterocolitis. The relevant figures for 2004 will be available in November 2005.
	ONS is working with the Health Protection Agency on a special study to identify the total number of deaths where C. difficile was mentioned on the death certificate.

Illegitimate Births

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the rate of overall illegitimate births as a percentage of all births in each of the past 20 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Amess, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the percentage of births which were illegitimate, for each of the last 20 years. I am replying in his absence. (10973)
	The information requested is shown in the attached table.
	
		Percentage of live births born outside marriage 1985 to 2004 England and Wales
		
			  Percentage outside marriage 
		
		
			 1985 19.2 
			 1986 21.4 
			 1987 23.2 
			 1988 25.6 
			 1989 27.0 
			 1990 28.3 
			 1991 30.2 
			 1992 31.2 
			 1993 32.2 
			 1994 32.4 
			 1995 33.9 
			 1996 35.8 
			 1997 37.0 
			 1998 37.8 
			 1999 38.9 
			 2000 39.5 
			 2001 40.0 
			 2002 40.6 
			 2003 41.4 
			 2004 42.2 
		
	
	Source:
	ONS

Inland Revenue

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been employed in the Inland Revenue Contact Centre Network in each quarter from Q2 2001 to Q2 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the staff numbers in full time equivalents (FTE) in all of the Inland Revenue Contact Centre network by quarter from Q2 2001 to May 2005.
	
		Inland Revenue contact centre network
		
			 Quarter Staff Numbers (FTE) rounded 
		
		
			 2001  
			 Q2 1,600 
			 Q3 1,700 
			 Q4 1,900 
			   
			 2002  
			 Q1 2,300 
			 Q2 2,700 
			 Q3 3,500 
			 Q4 3,700 
			   
			 2003  
			 Q1 4,300 
			 Q2 5,200 
			 Q3 5,200 
			 Q4 5,500 
			   
			 2004  
			 Q1 6,100 
			 Q2 7,200 
			 Q3 7,600 
			 Q4 7,600 
			   
			 2005  
			 Q1 8,300 
			 Q2(11) 8,300 
		
	
	(11) Two months only.
	The increased number of staff from 2001 Q2 to 2005 Q2 is a result of increased levels of business, including tax credits, transfers of calls from other parts of the business (regions) and the setting up of more helplines.

Oil Prices

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the impact on (a) the harmonised index of consumer prices and (b) the rate of increase of the harmonised index of consumer prices of a sustained $10 rise in the world price of a barrel of crude oil after (i) one year and (ii) two years;
	(2)  if he will estimate the direct revenue effect of a sustained $10 rise in the world price of a barrel of crude oil on the revenue accruing to the Exchequer in the (a) first and (b) second financial years following the rise.

John Healey: The impact of higher oil prices on the public finances is discussed in Box 2.5 in the 2004 pre-Budget report.
	The Government will publish an update of the effect of oil prices on the UK's public finances and updated forecasts for the UK and world economies in pre-Budget report 2005 as usual, taking into account all relevant factors and developments, including oil prices.

Oil Prices

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) dollar and (b) sterling price for a barrel of crude oil extracted in the United Kingdom was in each of the last 10 years; and how much revenue accrued to the Exchequer from oil production in each year.

John Healey: The following table gives DTI estimates for each of the last 10 years of the average sterling price received by UK Continental Shelf producers for a barrel of crude. These have been converted into US dollar prices using the average annual exchange rate for each year. All prices are nominal.
	
		
			  Estimated price of crude oil extracted in the UK  (£ per barrel) Estimated price price of crude oil in extracted in the UK  ($ per barrel) 
		
		
			 1995 10.6 16.7 
			 1996 12.7 19.8 
			 1997 11.2 18.4 
			 1998 7.9 13.0 
			 1999 10.4 16.9 
			 2000 18.1 27.3 
			 2001 16.5 23.7 
			 2002 16.6 24.9 
			 2003 17.9 29.1 
			 2004 20.1 36.7 
		
	
	Information on United Kingdom tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas production can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11–11.pdf"

Petrol Prices

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what research he is (a) conducting and (b) planning to conduct into the effects of higher fuel prices on domestic food prices;
	(2)  what research he is (a) conducting and (b) planning to conduct into the effects of higher fuel prices on air travel.

John Healey: The Chancellor considers relevant social, economic and environmental factors in making taxation policy.
	All taxation policy is kept under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget statement.

PFI Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of off-balance sheet private finance initiative contracts.

John Healey: The Treasury publication PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge" showed that £15.3 billion of PFI projects by capital value are accounted for off-balance sheet. Data on projects to have reached financial close since this publication can be established from departmental accounts (available on Department's websites) and the HM Treasury PFI Signed Projects List" (available online at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk). The balance sheet treatment of PFI projects is determined by an independent auditor following United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standards issued by the independent Accounting Standards Board (ASB).

Population Statistics

Owen Paterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the population of (a) Oswestry borough and (b) North Shropshire district has been in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Owen Paterson, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the population of (a) Oswestry Borough and (b) North Shropshire District in each of the last five years for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (10929)
	The most recent population estimates published are for mid-2003. (Estimates for mid-2004 will be published on 25 August 2005.) Therefore, the table below provides population estimates for Oswestry Borough and North Shropshire District for mid-1999 to mid-2003.
	
		Mid-year population estimates: 1999 to 2003
		
			 Thousand 
			  North Shropshire district Oswestry borough 
		
		
			 1999 55.9 36.1 
			 2000 56.5 36.8 
			 2001 57.2 37.3 
			 2002 58.2 37.7 
			 2003 58.4 38.2 
		
	
	Note:
	Population estimates are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest 100 people. Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Population Statistics

Owen Paterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the age structure of the population of (a) Oswestry borough and (b) North Shropshire district has been in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Owen Paterson, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the age structure of the population of (a) Oswestry borough and (b) North Shropshire district in each of the last five years for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (10930)
	The most recent population estimates published are for mid-2003. (Estimates for mid-2004 will be published on 25 August 2005.) Therefore, the attached Table 1 provides data for Oswestry borough and Table 2 for North Shropshire district for mid-1999 to mid-2003. I have provided population estimates by sex and quinary age band for both of these areas.
	Tables showing these data and data for an alternative age grouping (0–15, 16–59/64, and 60/65+) can be found on the National Statistics website under Current Releases" at www.statistics.gov.uk/popest.
	
		Table 1: Mid-year population estimates for Oswestry borough -- Thousand
		
			  Mid-1999 Mid-2000 Mid-2001 
			 Age bands Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total 
		
		
			 All ages 17.3 18.8 36.1 17.7 19.0 36.8 18.1 19.3 37.3 
			 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 
			 1–4 0.9 0.8 1.7 0.8 0.8 1.6 0.8 0.8 1.6 
			 5–9 1.1 1.1 2.3 1.2 1.1 2.3 1.2 1.1 2.3 
			 10–14 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.4 1.3 2.6 1.3 1.3 2.6 
			 15–19 1.1 1.2 2.2 1.1 1.2 2.3 1.2 1.2 2.4 
			 20–24 0.7 0.8 1.5 0.8 0.8 1.6 0.8 0.8 1.7 
			 25–29 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.1 1.1 2.2 1.1 1.1 2.1 
			 30–34 1.4 1.4 2.7 1.4 1.4 2.7 1.3 1.4 2.7 
			 35–39 1.3 1.3 2.7 1.4 1.4 2.8 1.4 1.4 2.8 
			 40–44 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.3 1.2 2.5 
			 45–49 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.2 1.2 2.4 
			 50–54 1.3 1.3 2.6 1.3 1.3 2.7 1.3 1.3 2.7 
			 55–59 1.0 1.1 2.2 1.1 1.2 2.3 1.1 1.2 2.4 
			 60–64 0.9 1.0 1.9 0.9 1.0 2.0 0.9 1.1 2.0 
			 65–69 0.8 0.9 1.8 0.8 0.9 1.8 0.9 0.9 1.8 
			 70–74 0.8 0.9 1.6 0.8 0.9 1.6 0.8 0.9 1.6 
			 75–79 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.6 0.9 1.4 
			 80–84 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.6 1.0 
			 85+ 0.2 0.6 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.6 0.8 
		
	
	
		Thousand
		
			  Mid-2002 Mid-2003 
			  Males Females Total Males Females Total 
		
		
			 All ages 18.3 19.5 37.7 18.5 19.7 38.2 
			 0 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.4 
			 1–4 0.8 0.8 1.6 0.8 0.8 1.6 
			 5–9 1.2 1.1 2.3 1.2 1.1 2.3 
			 10–14 1.4 1.4 2.7 1.4 1.4 2.8 
			 15–19 1.3 1.2 2.4 1.3 1.2 2.5 
			 20–24 0.9 0.9 1.8 0.9 0.9 1.8 
			 25–29 1.0 1.0 1.9 0.9 0.9 1.9 
			 30–34 1.3 1.4 2.7 1.3 1.4 2.7 
			 35–39 1.4 1.4 2.9 1.4 1.5 2.9 
			 40–44 1.3 1.3 2.7 1.4 1.3 2.7 
			 45–49 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.2 1.3 2.5 
			 50–54 1.3 1.3 2.6 1.3 1.3 2.6 
			 55–59 1.2 1.3 2.5 1.3 1.3 2.6 
			 60–64 1.0 1.1 2.1 1.0 1.2 2.2 
			 65–69 0.9 1.0 1.8 0.9 1.0 1.9 
			 70–74 0.8 0.9 1.7 0.8 0.9 1.7 
			 75–79 0.6 0.8 1.4 0.6 0.8 1.4 
			 80–84 0.4 0.6 1.0 0.4 0.7 1.1 
			 85+ 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.6 0.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Mid-2003 population estimates are the latest data available. Mid-2004 population estimates will be published on 25 August 2005.
	2. Population estimates are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest 100 people.
	3. Figures may not add exactly due to rounding.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics
	
		Table 2: Mid-year population estimates for north Shropshire district -- Thousand
		
			  Mid-1999 Mid-2000 Mid-2001 
			 Age bands Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total 
		
		
			 All ages 28.0 28.0 55.9 28.3 28.2 56.5 28.6 28.6 57.2 
			 0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.6 
			 1–4 1.3 1.2 2.6 1.3 1.2 2.6 1.4 1.3 2.7 
			 5–9 1.8 1.6 3.5 1.8 1.6 3.5 1.8 1.7 3.5 
			 10–14 1.8 1.6 3.4 1.8 1.7 3.5 1.9 1.7 3.6 
			 15–19 2.0 1.6 3.6 2.1 1.6 3.7 2.1 1.6 3.7 
			 20–24 1.3 1.1 2.4 1.4 1.1 2.5 1.4 1.2 2.6 
			 25–29 1.8 1.5 3.3 1.6 1.5 3.1 1.5 1.4 2.9 
			 30–34 2.1 2.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 
			 35–39 2.1 2.0 4.1 2.2 2.1 4.2 2.2 2.2 4.4 
			 40–44 1.9 1.8 3.7 2.0 1.9 3.8 2.1 2.0 4.0 
			 45–49 1.9 1.9 3.8 1.9 1.8 3.7 1.9 1.9 3.8 
			 50–54 2.1 2.2 4.3 2.1 2.2 4.3 2.1 2.2 4.2 
			 55–59 1.7 1.7 3.4 1.8 1.8 3.6 1.9 1.9 3.8 
			 60–64 1.6 1.6 3.1 1.6 1.6 3.2 1.6 1.6 3.2 
			 65–69 1.4 1.5 2.9 1.4 1.5 2.8 1.4 1.5 2.8 
			 70–74 1.2 1.3 2.5 1.2 1.3 2.6 1.2 1.4 2.6 
			 75–79 0.9 1.3 2.2 0.9 1.3 2.2 0.9 1.2 2.1 
			 80–84 0.5 0.8 1.3 0.5 0.8 1.3 0.5 0.9 1.4 
			 85+ 0.3 0.9 1.2 0.3 1.0 1.3 0.3 0.9 1.3 
		
	
	
		Thousand
		
			  Mid-2002 Mid-2003 
			 Age bands Males Females Total Males Females Total 
		
		
			 All ages 29.1 29.1 58.2 29.2 29.2 58.4 
			 0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.6 
			 1–4 1.3 1.3 2.6 1.3 1.3 2.5 
			 5–9 1.9 1.7 3.6 1.8 1.6 3.5 
			 10–14 2.0 1.8 3.8 2.0 1.8 3.8 
			 15–19 2.2 1.6 3.8 2.1 1.7 3.8 
			 20–24 1.6 1.2 2.8 1.7 1.3 3.0 
			 25–29 1.4 1.3 2.7 1.3 1.2 2.5 
			 30–34 1.9 2.0 3.9 1.9 1.8 3.7 
			 35–39 2.2 2.2 4.5 2.2 2.3 4.5 
			 40–44 2.2 2.0 4.2 2.2 2.1 4.3 
			 45–49 1.9 1.9 3.8 2.0 1.9 3.9 
			 50–54 2.0 2.1 4.1 2.0 2.0 4.0 
			 55–59 2.1 2.1 4.2 2.1 2.2 4.3 
			 60–64 1.6 1.6 3.2 1.6 1.7 3.3 
			 65–69 1.4 1.5 2.9 1.5 1.5 3.0 
			 70–74 1.3 1.4 2.6 1.3 1.4 2.7 
			 75–79 0.9 1.2 2.1 0.9 1.2 2.1 
			 80–84 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.6 1.0 1.6 
			 85+ 0.3 1.0 1.3 0.3 0.9 1.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Mid-2003 population estimates are the latest data available. Mid-2004 population estimates will be published on 25 August 2005.
	2. Population estimates are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest 100 people.
	3. Figures may not add exactly due to rounding
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Press Officers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press officers the Department employed ineach year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1683W and 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 754W.
	The number of press officers employed has remained broadly constant at nine, increasing to 11 in 2004–05.
	The costs for 2004–05 are £317,559.

Procurement Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library correspondence between (a) his Department and (b) the Office of Government Commerce and the European Commission in relation to implementing Article 45 of EU Public Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC.

John Healey: The Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce have had no correspondence with the European Commission about the implementation of Article 45 of Directive 2004/18/EC.

Public Bills

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list the public bills for which his Department is responsible which were reprinted during each of the last three sessions; what the reason was for reprinting each bill; and what the cost was;
	(2)  if he will list the public acts for which his Department is responsible which were reprinted during each of the last three years; what the reason was for reprinting each Act; and what the cost was.

John Healey: Bills can be reprinted several times during the course of their passage through both Houses of Parliament. The printing of Bills is, however, a matter for the respective Bill Offices in both Houses. Detailed information relating to the reprinting of Treasury Bills is not available.
	The responsibility for the printing of Acts of Parliament rests with the Queen's Printer within Her Majesty's Stationery Office who has let a contract for their printing and publication under which the contractor is obliged to maintain availability while an Act remains in force. No information is available as to whether any Treasury sponsored Acts have been reprinted.

Self-invested Personal Pensions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the numbers of buy to let properties which will be eligible to put into self-invested personal pensions from April 2006;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the tax foregone as a result of the ability to put buy and let properties into self-invested personal pensions from April 2006.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr (Adam Price) on 14 June 2005, Official Report, column 340W.

Single Mothers

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds are single mothers in each county in England and Wales.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Amess, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the percentage of 16–19 year olds, who are single mothers in each county of England and Wales. I am replying in his absence. (11047)
	The numbers of female lone parents aged 16–19 resident in private households by county and unitary authorities of England and Wales, produced from the 2001 Census, are shown in the attached table. The proportions they represent of all females aged 16–19 is also shown.
	
		Table C0524: All females and lone parent female persons aged 16–19—Population: females aged 16–19—Geographical level: counties/UAs of England and Wales
		
			   All females aged 16–19 Female lone parent Percentage of females aged 16–19 
		
		
			 727 England and Wales 1,251,082 31,637 2.53 
			 00EB Hartlepool UA 2,334 127 5.44 
			 00EC Middlesbrough UA 4,048 216 5.34 
			 00EE Redcar and Cleveland UA 3,574 143 4.00 
			 00EF Stockton-on-Tees UA 4,688 179 3.82 
			 00EH Darlington UA 2,256 79 3.50 
			 20 Durham County 12,395 446 3.60 
			 2D Tyne and Wear (Met County) 28,414 1,133 3.99 
			 35 Northumberland 7,173 226 3.15 
			 00ET Halton UA 3,303 109 3.30 
			 00EU Warrington UA 4,576 108 2.36 
			 00EX Blackburn with Darwen UA 3,797 160 4.21 
			 00EY Blackpool UA 3,051 145 4.75 
			 13 Cheshire County 15,254 309 2.03 
			 16 Cumbria 10,958 315 2.87 
			 2A Greater Manchester (Met County) 63,108 2,248 3.56 
			 2B Merseyside (Met County) 37,144 1,180 3.18 
			 30 Lancashire County 29,419 810 2.75 
			 00FA Kingston upon Hull; City of UA 6,408 345 5.38 
			 00FB East Riding of Yorkshire UA 7,304 113 1.55 
			 00FC North East Lincolnshire UA 4,014 178 4.43 
			 00FD North Lincolnshire UA 3,542 110 3.11 
			 00FF York UA 4,959 70 1.41 
			 2C South Yorkshire (Met County) 31,506 1,052 3.34 
			 2F West Yorkshire (Met County) 55,326 1,758 3.18 
			 36 North Yorkshire County 12,197 209 1.71 
			 00FK Derby UA 5,826 187 3.21 
			 00FN Leicester UA 8,488 324 3.82 
			 00FP Rutland UA 921 4 0.43 
			 00FY Nottingham UA 8,819 429 4.86 
			 17 Derbyshire County 15,711 337 2.14 
			 31 Leicestershire County 14,635 204 1.39 
			 32 Lincolnshire 14,473 309 2.14 
			 34 Northamptonshire 14,994 419 2.79 
			 37 Nottinghamshire County 16,497 415 2.52 
			 00GA Herefordshire; County of UA 3,697 85 2.30 
			 00GF Telford and Wrekin UA 3,952 123 3.11 
			 00GL Stoke-on-Trent UA 6,513 283 4.35 
			 2E West Midlands (Met County) 68,492 2,285 3.34 
			 39 Shropshire County 6,331 155 2.45 
			 41 Staffordshire County 19,032 357 1.88 
			 44 Warwickshire 11,438 228 1.99 
			 47 Worcestershire County 12,189 221 1.81 
			 00JA Peterborough UA 3,956 126 3.19 
			 00KA Luton UA 5,237 101 1.93 
			 00KF Southend-on-Sea UA 3,408 85 2.49 
			 00KG Thurrock UA 3,323 76 2.29 
			 09 Bedfordshire County 8,866 186 2.10 
			 12 Cambridgeshire County 13,630 187 1.37 
			 22 Essex County 28,714 461 1.61 
			 26 Hertfordshire 23,162 305 1.32 
			 33 Norfolk 17,706 293 1.65 
			 42 Suffolk 14,654 267 1.82 
			 1B Inner London 62,518 1,526 2.44 
			 1C Outer London 101,753 1,988 1.95 
			 00LC Medway UA 6,520 149 2.29 
			 00MA Bracknell Forest UA 2,383 56 2.35 
			 00MB West Berkshire UA 3,614 62 1.72 
			 00MC Reading UA 3,707 117 3.16 
			 00MD Slough UA 2,849 44 1.54 
			 00ME Windsor and Maidenhead UA 2,723 48 1.76 
			 00MF Wokingham UA 3,545 32 0.90 
			 00MG Milton Keynes UA 5,094 129 2.53 
			 00ML Brighton and Hove UA 6,243 116 1.86 
			 00MR Portsmouth UA 5,050 127 2.51 
			 00MS Southampton UA 6,494 177 2.73 
			 00MW Isle of Wight UA 2,848 66 2.32 
			 11 Buckinghamshire County 11,060 111 1.00 
			 21 East Sussex County 10,489 198 1.89 
			 24 Hampshire County 28,126 433 1.54 
			 29 Kent County 31,617 655 2.07 
			 38 Oxfordshire 15,279 230 1.51 
			 43 Surrey 22,879 220 0.96 
			 45 West Sussex 15,751 238 1.51 
			 00HA Bath and North East Somerset UA 4,309 46 1.07 
			 00HB Bristol; City of UA 10,421 272 2.61 
			 00HC North Somerset UA 3,955 74 1.87 
			 00HD South Gloucestershire UA 5,150 64 1.24 
			 00HG Plymouth UA 6,447 210 3.26 
			 00HH Torbay UA 2,773 51 1.84 
			 00HN Bournemouth UA 3,778 65 1.72 
			 00HP Poole UA 3,078 52 1.69 
			 00HX Swindon UA 3,950 108 2.73 
			 15 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 10,994 197 1.79 
			 18 Devon County 15,889 278 1.75 
			 19 Dorset County 7,973 121 1.52 
			 23 Gloucestershire 12,856 237 1.84 
			 40 Somerset 11,233 188 1.67 
			 46 Wiltshire County 9,231 141 1.53 
			 00NA Isle of Anglesey/Sir Ynys Mon 1,551 46 2.97 
			 00NC Gwynedd/Gwynedd 3,028 61 2.01 
			 00NE Conwy/Conwy 2,254 52 2.31 
			 00NG Denbighshire/Sir Ddinbych 2,000 55 2.75 
			 00NJ Flintshire/Sir y Fflint 3,480 91 2.61 
			 00NL Wrexham/Wrecsam 3,239 99 3.06 
			 00NN Powys/Powys 2,650 54 2.04 
			 00NQ Ceredigion/Sir Ceredigion 2,512 28 1.11 
			 00NS Pembrokeshire/Sir Benfro 2,703 120 4.44 
			 00NU Carmarthenshire/Sir Gaerfyrddin 4,162 115 2.76 
			 00NX Swansea/Abertawe 6,009 255 4.24 
			 00NZ Neath Port Talbot/Castell-nedd Port Talbot 3,238 139 4.29 
			 00PB Bridgend/Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr 2,929 116 3.96 
			 00PD The Vale of Glamorgan/Bro Morgannwg 2,968 101 3.40 
			 00PF Rhondda; Cynon; Taff/Rhondda; Cynon; Taf 6,011 324 5.39 
			 00PH Merthyr Tydfil/Merthyr Tudful 1,497 93 6.21 
			 00PK Caerphilly/Caerffili 4,210 194 4.61 
			 00PL Blaenau Gwent/Blaenau Gwent 1,647 93 5.65 
			 00PM Torfaen/Tor-faen 2,129 81 3.80 
			 00PP Monmouthshire/Sir Fynwy 1,848 24 1.30 
			 00PR Newport/Casnewydd 3,476 158 4.55 
			 00PT Cardiff/Caerdydd 9,550 292 3.06 
		
	
	Note:
	Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid release of confidential data.
	Source:
	2001 Census

Substance Abuse (Scotland)

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths occurred in Scotland as a result of (a) heroin and methadone abuse and (b) alcohol abuse in each year from 2001 to 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: This is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. My hon. Friend could pursue the matter with the Chief Executive of the General Register Office for Scotland.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission research into the effects of making tax credit awards for fixed periods; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government carefully examined the issue of how tax credits could respond to changes in families' income and circumstances, and consulted on it when designing the child and working tax credits. A consultation document, 'New Tax Credits Supporting families, making work pay and tackling poverty', was published in July 2001.
	In the light of that consultation exercise, the April 2002 publication The Child and Working Tax Credits: The Modernisation of Britain's Tax and Benefit System Number Ten" set out how the system would work.
	The Government decided that tax credits should be designed to tailor support to families' specific circumstances, and to respond to their changing needs, providing most support when their need is greatest.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff work on the Inland Revenue tax credits complaints helpline; what the average number of calls (a) received and (b) answered was on each day in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 July 2005, Official Report, columns 436–37W.

Testicular Cancer

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence of testicular cancer per 1,000 men has been in (a) England, (b) the county of Bedfordshire and (c) Mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in each year since 1990.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Nadine Dorries, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the incidence of testicular cancer per 1,000 men has been in (a) England, (b) the County of Bedfordshire and (c) Mid-Bedfordshire Parliamentary Constituency in each year since 1990.1 am replying in his absence. (10907)
	The most recent available figures for the incidence of testicular cancer are for the year 2002. Age-standardised incidence rates (directly standardised to the European standard population) for England in each year since 1990 are given in the attached table. The rates have been provided per 100,000 men to assist the interpretation of the trends.
	In each of the years since 1990 there were fewer than 20 cases of testicular cancer in the current county of Bedfordshire, too few to reliably calculate annual age-standardised incidence rates. For the period 1990–2002 the age-standardised incidence rate for this county was 6.2 per 100,000 men.
	Incidence rates are not available centrally for Parliamentary Constituencies.
	
		Directly age-standardised incidence rates(12) of testicular(13) cancer per 100,000 men in England, 1990–2002
		
			  England 
		
		
			 1990 4.9 
			 1991 5.2 
			 1992 5.4 
			 1993 5.5 
			 1994 5.3 
			 1995 5.9 
			 1996 5.8 
			 1997 5.7 
			 1998 6.2 
			 1999 6.8 
			 2000 6.7 
			 2001 6.6 
			 2002 6.2 
		
	
	(12) Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population are directly standardised to the European standard population. In detailed analyses of trends in incidence and mortality over time for a particular cancer, ONS use age-standardised rates. These control for differences in the size and age structure of the population and allow unbiased comparison of rates over time.
	(13) From 1990 to 1994, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 186; from 1995 to 2002, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C62.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Unleaded Petrol

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the tax on unleaded petrol.

John Healey: The Government recently announced that it will not go ahead with the planned inflation increase of fuel duties on 1 September—including for rebated oils, biofuels and road fuel gases—and will review the position again at the time of the pre-Budget report.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airsoft Games

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from participants in airsoft games about the impact of Government legislation on the sport.

Hazel Blears: We have received and are considering representations from a range of individuals and organisations about the effect the Violent Crime Reduction Bill will have on airsoft games. Only realistic imitation firearms will be caught by the proposed ban on manufacture, import or sale and owners of existing guns will be able to retain and use them.

Airwave

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the performance of the police airwave system during the floods earlier this year in Carlisle.

Hazel Blears: No such assessment has been made because Airwave is not yet in operational use in Cumbria.

Airwave

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the current status of the police airwave programme is (a) operational and (b) ready for service.

Hazel Blears: Airwave is available to all 51 forces in England, Wales and Scotland. Airwave is in operational use (in full or in part) in 48 forces.

Airwave

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) performance targets have been set and (b) performance-related payments have been made to O2 Airwave in connection with the contract to provide the Tetra telecommunications network.

Hazel Blears: There are a range of performance targets set out in the contract with O2 covering matters such as service availability and resolution of faults. There are no performance-related payments for exceeding these targets. There are, however, penalties for failing to meet them.

ASBOs

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding is expected to be allocated for anti-social behaviour orders in 2005.

Hazel Blears: We do not allocate any funding for antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). There are currently six local agencies who can apply for ASBOs and it is the responsibility of these agencies to meet any associated costs.

Assaults (Race/Religion)

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of members of the (a) Jewish, (b) Muslim, (c) Hindu, (d) Sikh and (e) Christian faiths who were found guilty of assaults in which race or religion was assessed as a factor in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people of (a) white European, (b) white British, (c) African-Caribbean and (d) Gypsy Traveller extraction were convicted of assaults in which race or religion was assessed as a factor in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible from the statistics collected on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database to identify different religious groups, as this data is not collected centrally. Nor is there currently robust data available on the ethnicity of people convicted of assaults, in which race or religion was assessed as a factor. Available information on the number of offenders found guilty of racial assaults, religious assaults and racial or religious assaults, England and Wales, 2001–03 is contained in the following table. Data for 2004 statistics will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty at all courts for racial, religious and racial or religious assault offences,England and Wales 2001–03(14);
		
			 Offence Statute 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Racially aggravated common assault Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29(1Xc)and(3) 220 284 336 
			 Religiously aggravated common assault Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29(1Xc)and(3) n/a 1 4 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated common assault Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29(1)(c)and(3) n/a 2 20 
			 Racially aggravated actual bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.47 (in part) as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29 (1) (b) and (2) 83 122 118 
			 Religiously aggravated actual bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.47 (in part) as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29 (1) (b) and (2) n/a n/a 2 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated actual bodily harm Offences against the Person Act 1861 S.47 (in part) as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29 (1) (b) and (2) n/a n/a 6 
			 Racially aggravated malicious wounding or GBH Offences Against the Person Act 1861 S.20 as amended by Crime and Disorder act S.29 (1) (a) and (2) 28 19 19 
			 Religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm (inflicting bodily injury with or without weapon Offences Against the Person Act 1861 S.20 as amended by Crime and Disorder act S.29 (1) (a) and (2) n/a 2 2 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated malicious wounding or GBH Offences Against the Person Act 1861 S.20 as amended by Crime and Disorder act S.29 (1) (a) and (2) n/a 1 10 
			 Total  331 431 517 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(14) These data are on a principal offence basis.

Asylum Seekers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from the Kurdish area of Iraq have been deported in each of the last 24 months for which figures are available, broken down by destination in Iraq to which they were sent.

Tony McNulty: The nationality of asylum applicants is recorded by the Home Office. However, information on the region of a country that asylum applicants originate from is not recorded.
	Information on the destination for the removal of failed asylum seekers has only been available since the beginning of 2004. The latest published information on removal of asylum seekers covers the first quarter of 2005.
	Information on the number of asylum seekers removed can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Community Support Officers

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the training of community support officers.

Hazel Blears: Under the Police Reform Act 2002 it is for each chief constable to be satisfied that community support officers (CSOs) have received adequate training for the powers with which they are designated. The Central Police Training and Development Authority has prepared a CSO training package for use by forces but the training is delivered locally. A report on the National Evaluation of CSOs by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Branch will address various areas, including training. The report will be published later this year.

Consultants

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to issue guidance on effective commissioning for those in the public and voluntary sectors who are commissioning work from external consultants.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office follows OGC best practice advice to the public sector through its web-based product the Successful Delivery Toolkit (www.ogc.gok.uk/sdtoolkit/). The guidance is aimed at public sector organisations and complies with Government policy and regulations for procurement but is not specifically tailored to the voluntary sector. The guidance includes the use of consultants covering:
	Purchasing consultancy services, covering the tendering process;
	Use of professional advisors, including consultants. Where it may be appropriate to use consultants, for example, in construction or specification writing;
	Examples of specific guides that are relevant to the procurement and supply of consultancy services:
	(i) Delivering world-class consultancy services to the public sector—A statement of best practice;
	(ii) The Government Procurement Code of Good Practice for Customer and Suppliers.
	There are currently no plans for the Home Office to issue further guidance.

Extradition

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens have been extradited to the USA under the UK-US Extradition Treaty 2003.

Andy Burnham: The UK-US Extradition Treaty 2003 has not yet been brought into force but some of its provisions have been given effect by the Extradition Act 2003, which came into force on one January 2004. Eight British citizens, and three US citizens, have been extradited to the US under the Extradition Act 2003. The Act and the Treaty have not changed the position whereby both the UK and the US are prepared to consider the extradition of their own citizens.

Fine Defaulters

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been sent to prison in the first five months of 2005 for defaulting on the payment of a fine.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information is only available for January to April 2005. In this period there were 731 persons received into prison establishments in England and Wales in default of payment of a fine, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system.

Identity Cards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment the Government have made of the cost to local authorities of introducing identity cards.

Andy Burnham: The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) published along side the Identity Cards Bill on 25 May 2005, contains the most recent assessment of the impact of introducing Identity Cards. The RIA makes it clear that there are no proposals to require any organisations or individuals to undertake any checks on Identity Cards. No local authority will be obliged to check Identity Cards as part of their business, however some may choose to do so to in order to benefit from more efficient processes and a estimated reduction in fraud as a result of using the Identity Card Scheme.

Identity Cards

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of equipping police premises in each police area in England and Wales; and police officers with identity card readers.

Andy Burnham: The Home Office has been working to identify areas where the identity cards scheme could provide business benefits. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary placed in the Library a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the identity cards scheme. The cost of equipping premises will depend on the nature of the use of the identity cards scheme and the type of identity check(s) necessary to deliver the business benefits. In some cases, benefits could be realised without the use of card readers and the cost of installing any readers needs to be considered alongside future plans to refresh or upgrade IT systems. As the design of the scheme matures, during and after the procurement exercise, so will our understanding of where the scheme will be of most benefit which will allow us to further refine our estimates of costs and benefits.

Identity Cards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely need to replace identity cards before their expiry date; by what means he intends to arrange for replacements to be issued; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost (a) to the Government and (b) to the individual concerned.

Andy Burnham: Reviews of current research and surveys conducted with companies involved in card technology has indicated the feasibility of an ID card that lasts for 10 years. This has been reflected in other identity cards schemes, Hong Kong for example.
	As the planned validity period of the identity card issued to UK nationals is 10 years, requests for replacement cards in advance of their expiry date are likely to arise from lost, stolen, damaged or faulty cards. Estimates have been made of the likely rates of failure, damage and loss (including theft) based on industry benchmarks and experience from other government departments, however due to reasons of commercial sensitivity, it is not appropriate to release these figures as it would hinder the Department's ability to achieve value for money in the forthcoming procurement phase.
	It is planned to issue replacement identity cards in a secure yet convenient manner for the public. A member of the public will be able to report their card lost, stolen or damaged via post, internet, telephone and in-person, subject to a secure process of authentication.
	Costs based on this work have been included in the operating costs published in the RIA. However we cannot disaggregate these costs for reasons of commercial confidentiality. No decisions have been made in respect of the fee charged for issuing a replacement card.

Identity Cards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to ensure that measures in the Identity Cards Bill are compatible with disability rights legislation.

Andy Burnham: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 applies to the identity cards scheme. There is nothing on the face of the Identity Cards Bill that contradicts any provision of that Act.
	The Identity Cards Bill contains, at Clause 41(1), the usual provision which ensures that any secondary legislation can contain different provision for different cases and that any exemptions and exceptions as are necessary are made. This inbuilt flexibility will allow for any special policies, practices or procedures which will have to be adopted to cater for the wide variety of special needs people with disabilities have.
	The United Kingdom Passport Service biometric trial which was a trial of the processes of enrolling biometrics, rather than a test of the technology, included a sample group of disabled participants to record their customer experience. Disability Matters Ltd. were satisfied with this approach and reported that they had been impressed with the way that disabled people were actively involved in the project. The Identity Cards Programme Team continues to liaise with organisations who best understand the needs of disabled people so that these needs are dealt with directly and sensitively.

Lancaster Castle

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Lancaster Castle will cease to be a prison; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: There are currently no plans to cease using Her Majesty's Prison Lancaster Castle as a prison.

Licensing

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers magistrates have to ban defendants from entering licensed premises.

Hazel Blears: Under the provisions of the Licensed Premises (Exclusion of Certain Persons) Act 1980 a court can make an order prohibiting a person from entering specified licensed premises, following conviction for an offence committed on licensed premises involving violence or threats of violence. In addition, Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) that were introduced under Section one of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and first used in 1999 can also be used to prohibit certain people from entering specific areas or premises. ASBOs however have a two year minimum period and can contain various prohibitions. We are therefore introducing Drinking Banning Orders (DBOs) under the Violent Crime Reduction Bill that we introduced on 8 June 2005. The Bill received its Second Reading on 20 June 2005. A DBO has an effect for a period not less than two months and not more than two years and would be more appropriate where binge drinking and alcohol fuelled behaviour needs to be addressed and discouraged and where there is a need for more flexible time limits to apply to a ban.

Local Authority Regulatory Services

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance the Government have given to (a) local authorities and (b) local authorities' co-ordinators of regulatory services, on tackling (i) underage drinking, (ii) solvent abuse and (iii) bogus marriages.

Hazel Blears: The Government taking action on underage drinking, solvent abuse and bogus marriages.
	(i) The results of a campaign aimed at tackling alcohol-related disorder and underage drinking, involving the police, trading standards and other partners, were published in a document called Lessons Learned from the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign" last year. This included lessons learned from underage test purchasing operations undertaken during the campaign. The lessons learned document was circulated to all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. In addition, on 8 June 2005 we introduced the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which includes new powers for the police to impose 48-hour bans on pubs and clubs persistently selling to underage drinkers.
	(ii) The Home Office and other Government Departments have worked in partnership with the Department of Health who have developed a framework for tackling volatile substance abuse. The draft framework outlines a number of key recommendations that Government will take forward in partnership with key stakeholders at local, regional and national level.
	(iii) Registrars and local authorities coordinators of regulatory services (LACORS) are both represented on a joint Home Office/Registrars Group which discusses issues relating to marriage abuse. The General Register Office has provided guidance on identifying bogus marriages and on the implementation of the provisions contained in sections 19 to 25 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004 to combat bogus marriages.

Mini-Motos

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to prevent the use of miniature motorcycles (mini-motos) on publicly owned land.

Paul Goggins: We have already given the police a power under the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize any mechanically propelled vehicle which is being driven both in a careless and inconsiderate manner on-road, or off-road without lawful authority, and causing or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. How the police exercise this power is an operational matter for individual chief officers. We are aware of local initiatives, bringing together a wide range of interests, to investigate the possibilities for making special provision for recreational use of vehicles which will avoid nuisance to the general public. We are working with other Departments to develop such thinking and its practical implementation.

National Firearms Register

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 766W, on the National Firearms Register, when he expects the National Firearms Licensing Management System to be successfully signed off and available for forces to take up.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 5 July 2005
	Load testing for the live piloting of the National Firearms Licensing Management System will resume in the autumn.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the National Offender Management Service proposes to build on the sites in (a) Merseyside and (b) London for which it has obtained outline planning permission;
	(2)  what progress has been made in acquiring the two sites to build large multi-functional prisons for which the 2003 Budget Settlement made provision.

Fiona Mactaggart: Although the National Offender Management Service owns the two sites at Merseyside and London, no decision has been taken to build on them. A number of sites have previously been identified as potentially suitable for new prisons, but no decision to acquire any site has been made.

Off-licence Sales

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for off-licence alcohol sales to people (a) already under the influence of alcohol and (b) under the age of 18 years in each of the last 10 years; if he will break down by region the number of defendants; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database gives the number of defendants proceeded against in England and Wales, 1994 to 2003, for the offences of: Selling etc., intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises" (including wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18") and permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premise, or selling liquor to a drunken person", broken down by region.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	We introduced the Violent Crime Reduction Bill on the 8 June 2005. The Bill includes a power for police to impose 48-hour bans on pubs and clubs persistently selling alcohol to underage drinkers. The provisions apply to all premises licensed to retail alcohol, including off-licenses, convenience stores and supermarkets, and to any person giving a temporary event notice which authorizes sales of alcohol.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against for certain offences relating to the sale of alcohol, by region(15) England and Wales 1994 to 2003
		
			 Offence description Statute Region 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 
		
		
			 Permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person Licensing Act 1964, Sec 172; Licensing Act (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983, Sec 3 (Sch para 6) North East — — 1 — — 
			   North West 2 — — 2 1 
			   Yorkshire and Humberside — 2 — — — 
			   East Midlands — — — — — 
			   West Midlands 3 — — 2 1 
			   East of England 3 — — 1 — 
			   London 3 11 2 1 11 
			   South East 2 3 2 3 9 
			   South West — — — — — 
			   Wales 1 3 3 — — 
			   England and Wales 14 19 8 9 22 
			 Selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises(16) Licensing Act 1964, Sees 169 A&B; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983, Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1) North East 12 8 23 34 94 
			   Northwest 19 47 64 55 58 
			   Yorkshire and Humberside 7 8 12 16 22 
			   East Midlands 8 19 19 20 15 
			   West Midlands 9 26 29 25 20 
			   East of England 27 12 18 18 18 
			   London 11 19 14 13 13 
			   South East 17 10 19 9 18 
			   South West 12 20 31 2 40 
			   Wales 16 29 22 23 13 
			   England and Wales 138 198 251 215 311 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence description Statute Region 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person Licensing Act 1964, Sec 172; Licensing Act (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983, Sec 3 (Sch para 6) North East — — — — — 
			   North West — 2 2 — — 
			   Yorkshire and Humberside 1 — — — 1 
			   East Midlands — — — — — 
			   West Midlands — 2 — 1 — 
			   East of England — — 3 — 1 
			   London 7 3 5 3 3 
			   South East 3 3 — — 3 
			   South West — — — 3 — 
			   Wales 2 — — — — 
			   England and Wales 13 10 10 7 8 
			 
			 Selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises2 Licensing Act 1964, Sees 169 A&B; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983, Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1) North East 41 18 18 9 42 
			   Northwest 41 30 35 73 211 
			   Yorkshire and Humberside 17 22 31 14 9 
			   East Midlands 14 9 7 11 78 
			   West Midlands 34 21 11 13 62 
			   East of England 7 6 5 5 11 
			   London 17 2 19 12 113 
			   South East 10 6 17 12 30 
			   South West 5 4 6 2 17 
			   Wales 19 14 9 19 43 
			   England and Wales 205 132 158 170 616 
		
	
	(15) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(16) Includes Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18"

Passports

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is of issuing (a) existing passports and (b) passports with a facial biometric (i) based on a suitable quality photograph provided by the applicant and (ii) based on a photograph taken by the Passport Office, (A) excluding and (B) including the cost of operating and maintaining the record system and overhead costs.

Andy Burnham: All passports issued use photographs provided by the applicants, none are taken by the Passport Service. In 2004–05 the actual average unit cost of issuing and delivering just over six million passports was £38.30. In 2005–06 the Passport Service will begin issuing passports containing facial biometrics, these will be phased in progressively during the last quarter of 2005–06 and the first quarter of 2006–07. The average unit cost of producing passports, including an element for the facial biometric will be:
	2005–06: £42.36
	2006–07: £67.93

Passports

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which company was awarded the contract to manufacture the chips used in biometric passports.

Andy Burnham: The new central and regional biometric passport (ePassport) production facilities are to be procured through the existing Security Printing and Systems Ltd. (SPSL) printing contract. SPSL will be required to procure key components though sub-contracts, with UKPS participation to endure value for money and the best technical solution. Detailed commercial negotiations for the production of ePassports are continuing, and a contract is expected to be signed in August 2005. Any sub-contract awarded for the manufacture and supply of chips to be used in ePassports would thereafter be placed by SPSL. Such a contract has not yet been placed.

Passports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Passport Office's plans to require interviews for renewals of and applications for passports.

Andy Burnham: A written statement announcing the decision to require interviews for adult first time passport applicants was made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Mr. Browne) on 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 172WS.
	Personal attendance for passport renewals would become necessary in connection with the addition of fingerprints to biometric passports, and interview of all passport applicants would provide a further strengthening of UK Passport Service premises in line with International practises. The EU has decided that fingerprints should be included in passports issued by member states in the Schengen area, within three years of agreement on the technical specification. The UK is currently excluded from this requirement but there would be disadvantages for British passport holders if UK passports were issued to a lower standard than those of other EU member states. The UK is currently challenging its exclusion, and in parallel is considering whether to mirror the EU requirement. A statement will be made when final decisions have been made.

Passports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment the Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of the proposed interview scheme in the Passport Office.

Andy Burnham: The Passport Service's Authentication by Interview (AbI) scheme is intended both to deter and to detect fraudulent applications among adult first time applicants but its business case has been constructed on its potential deterrent effect, for which evidence exists. UKPS data sampling has identified the first time adult channel as accounting for 74 per cent. of all fraudulent applications, although this group accounts for less than 10 per cent. of all applications processed annually by the Agency. AbI closes the loophole that currently exists in the postal application system by bringing together the physical applicant, and current biographical information, to ensure they are one and the same. A fraudster will now be faced with having to act out their false identity, and risk a real possibility of detection. There have been a number of instances in the past where the requirement to attend for interview would have enabled UKPS to identify a fraudulent application and prevent the issue of a passport in a false identity. The estimated cost of the scheme in its year of introduction is aggregated within the total estimated unit cost of £67.93 for 2006–07, published within the UKPS Corporate and Business Plan. The benefit the scheme is designed to deliver is in deterring fraudulent passport applications and thus contributing to the overall fight against identity fraud and reducing numbers of such frauds with consequent benefits to the individual and to the UK public and private sectors.

Passports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department considers interviews to be the most effective way of targeting passport fraud; and what alternative methods for stopping fraud it has assessed.

Andy Burnham: The introduction of interviews is one of a range of initiatives the UK Passport Service is taking forward to reduce passport fraud through improved detection and prevention, as indicated in its 2005–10 Corporate and Business Plan. The Passport Service's programme of work which has been informed by, and is closely related to the recommendations of the Cabinet Office study on identity fraud published in 2002, includes:
	Increasing data-sharing with public and private sector organisations;
	Improving systems and staff training in identity authentication, and increasing the professionalism of its fraud investigation capability;
	Improving the security of the passport book, through the introduction of biometric chip enabled passports from 2006;
	Using facial recognition technology to detect fraudulent applications;
	Use of its new Omnibase, and Lost/Stolen/Recovered global passport databases to detect and prevent fraud;
	Working with law enforcement agencies to apprehend, disrupt and dismantle the activities of those involved in identity fraud; and
	Supporting the work of the Home Office's Identity Fraud Steering Committee in promoting closer public/private sector collaboration in combating identity fraud.
	The planned interviews will be conducted after improved checking of the information provided by applicants, including database checks. The interview will then enable genuine applicants to demonstrate their knowledge of the identity claimed but will face fraudulent applicants with the likelihood of detection. The interview will have an important deterrent effect, and will close off loopholes associated with illegal immigration where the applicant is often not in the UK and would be unable to answer questions related to residence in the UK. Only a procedure that includes an interview will enable the UKPS to confirm that the intended passport holder is the rightful owner of the identity claimed and to close the loophole that is inevitable when applications can be submitted by post.

Prisons

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates have escaped from prisons in London in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The table shows that there were seven KPI recorded escapes between the period 1997–98 to the present date.
	
		
			 Financial year Total number of escapes Prison 
		
		
			 1997–98 1 HMP Belmarsh 
			 1998–99 3 Pentonville Wormwood scrubs Feltham 
			 1999–2000 0 — 
			 2000–01 0 — 
			 2001–02 1 Feltham 
			 2002–03 1 Brixton 
			 2003–04 0 — 
			 2004–05 1 Pentonville 
			 Total KPI escapes 7  
		
	
	An escape is classified as a escape if a prisoner is unlawfully at large for more than 15 minutes.

Prisons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many UK prisons have (a) been refurbished and (b) newly built since 1997;
	(2)  how many prisons there are in England; and if he will list each prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: Prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament and the Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland respectively.
	Refurbishment in prisons occurs on a continuing basis, as the need arises. For example a wing, kitchen or gym may be refurbished, dependent on need. No prison has been refurbished in its entirety since 1997.
	There have been nine newly built prisons opened in England and Wales since 1997.
	There are 139 prisons in England and Wales. This includes three prisons which contain separate units located on one site: Moorland (open and closed), Usk/Prescoed and Grendon/Spring Hill. This number also includes Dover and Haslar, which are managed by the Prison Service on behalf of the immigration and nationality directorate. All prisons in England and Wales are listed as follows:
	Public Prisons:
	Acklington
	Albany
	Ashwell
	Askham Grange
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Birmingham
	Blakenhurst
	Blantyre House
	Blundeston
	Brinsford
	Bristol
	Brixton
	Brockhill
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Bullwood Hall
	Camp Hill
	Canterbury
	Cardiff
	Castington
	Channings Wood
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Cookham Wood
	Dartmoor
	Deerbolt
	Dorchester
	Dover
	Downview
	Drake Hall
	Durham
	East Sutton Park
	Eastwood Park
	Edmunds Hill
	Elmley
	Erlestoke
	Everthorpe
	Exeter
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Ford
	Foston Hall
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Garth
	Gartree
	Glen Parva
	Gloucester
	Grendon/Spring Hill
	Guys Marsh
	Haslar
	Haverigg
	Hewell Grange
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Hollesley Bay
	Holloway
	Holme House
	Hull
	Huntercombe
	Kingston
	Kirkham
	Kirklevington
	Lancaster
	Lancaster Farms
	Latchmere House
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Leyhill
	Lincoln
	Lindholme
	Littlehey
	Liverpool
	Long Lartin
	Low Newton
	Maidstone
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Morton Hall
	Mount
	New Hall
	North Sea Camp
	Northallerton
	Norwich
	Nottingham
	Onley
	Parkhurst
	Pentonville
	Portland
	Preston
	Ranby
	Reading
	Risley
	Rochester
	Send
	Shepton Mallet
	Shrewsbury
	Stafford
	Standford Hill
	Stocken
	Stoke Heath
	Styal
	Sudbury
	Swaleside
	Swansea
	Swinfen Hall
	Thorn Cross
	Usk·Prescoed
	Verne
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Warren Hill
	Wayland
	Wealstun
	Weare
	Wellingborough
	Werrington
	Wetherby
	Whatton
	Whitemoor
	Winchester
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs
	Wymott
	Contracted Out Prisons:
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Bronzefield
	Doncaster
	Dovegate
	Forest Bank
	Lowdham Grange
	Pare
	Peterborough
	Rye Hill
	Wolds

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual cost of keeping a person in prison was in the last period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003–04 the average cost per prisoner was £25,377 for contracted prisons and £25,718 for public sector prisons.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were held in prison awaiting deportation on 24 June, broken down by (a) those who have been awaiting deportation for (i) one week, (ii) two to four weeks, (iii) four to eight weeks, (iv) eight to 12 weeks and (v) more than 12 weeks and (b) nationality.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the number of people who were detained in prison establishments awaiting deportation after completion of a criminal sentence is not available.
	Work is ongoing to improve the quality of data held on those people detained under Immigration Act powers in Prison Service establishments.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there were in each prison establishment for (a) prison officers and (b) other prison staff as at 24 June.

Fiona Mactaggart: The latest information on staff vacancies for each public sector prison establishment relates to staff in post at 31 May and is calculated by comparing the operational staffing requirements as at 30 June. This snapshot is contained in the table.
	Information on required staffing levels within prisons managed by the private sector is not collected centrally in this form and is therefore not available.
	Overall, Officer recruitment continues at a high level compared with previous years and the Service-wide shortfall among operational staff is well within an acceptable operating margin. To cover any vacancies in the short-term, certain establishments are allowing officers to work additional hours as part of the 'Contracted Supplementary Hours Scheme'. This scheme contributed the equivalent of 412 full-time officers at 31 March 2005. At that time the total operational staff availability was 25,858 compared to an operational staffing requirement of 26,087, resulting in a Service-wide shortfall of just 0.9 per cent.
	Staffing levels in non-operational roles are more fluid and vacancy figures require qualification. This is in part due to the number of reviews taking place across the Prison Service and on-going work to introduce greater efficiencies which has led to decisions to leave posts unfilled.
	
		
			  Shortfall of staff in post 31 May 2005 against operational staffing requirement 1 July 2005 
			 Establishment Officers Other staff 
		
		
			 Acklington 9 3 
			 Albany 7 6 
			 Ashwell 8 13 
			 Askham Grange — 4 
			 Aylesbury 13 5 
			 Bedford 7 28 
			 Belmarsh 29 18 
			 Birmingham 22 12 
			 Blakenhurst 15 — 
			 Blantyre House 1 3 
			 Blundeston — — 
			 Brinsford 16 — 
			 Bristol 15 20 
			 Brixton 14 5 
			 Brockhill 5 8 
			 Buckley Hall 1 3 
			 Bullingdon 22 15 
			 Bullwood Hall 9 — 
			 Camp Hill 2 — 
			 Canterbury 3 11 
			 Cardiff — 5 
			 Castington — — 
			 Channings Wood 3 11 
			 Chelmsford 11 — 
			 Coldingley 8 3 
			 Cookham Wood — — 
			 Dartmoor 1 6 
			 Deerbolt 2 — 
			 Dorchester — — 
			 Dover — 10 
			 Downview 5 — 
			 Drake Hall 1 — 
			 Durham 1 30 
			 East Button Park 1 — 
			 Eastwood Park 34 35 
			 Edmunds Hill — — 
			 Elmley 3 14 
			 Erlestoke 6 7 
			 Everthorpe — — 
			 Exeter 1 12 
			 Featherstone 3 15 
			 Feltham 17 29 
			 Ford 9 25 
			 Foston Hall 11 12 
			 Frankland 4 21 
			 Full Button 19 27 
			 Garth 7 4 
			 Gartree 26 20 
			 Glen Parva 7 23 
			 Gloucester 1 6 
			 Grendon 5 — 
			 Guys Marsh 4 12 
			 Haslar — 3 
			 Haverigg 8 11 
			 Hewell Grange 1 7 
			 High Down 12 2 
			 Highpoint 2 2 
			 Hindley 14 2 
			 Hollesley Bay — 2 
			 Holloway 25 — 
			 Holme House 4 14 
			 Hull — — 
			 Huntercombe 22 23 
			 Kingston 5 5 
			 Kirkham 4 12 
			 Kirklevington Grange — 2 
			 Lancaster 2 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 8 — 
			 Latchmere House 4 1 
			 Leeds 1 — 
			 Leicester 9 — 
			 Lewes 3 — 
			 Leyhill 3 20 
			 Lincoln — — 
			 Lindholme — — 
			 Littlehey 6 11 
			 Liverpool — — 
			 Long Lartin 13 15 
			 Low Newton 5 — 
			 Maidstone — 22 
			 Manchester 32 18 
			 Moorland — — 
			 Morton Hall 2 — 
			 New Hall 37 8 
			 North Sea Camp 3 14 
			 Northallerton 2 6 
			 Norwich 3 3 
			 Nottingham — — 
			 Onley 13 14 
			 Parkhurst 12 30 
			 Pentonville 2 12 
			 Portland 8 17 
			 Preston 2 — 
			 Ranby 5 — 
			 Reading 1 4 
			 Risley 16 — 
			 Rochester 1 9 
			 Send 4 8 
			 Shepton Mallet 1 — 
			 Shrewsbury — — 
			 Stafford — — 
			 Standford Hill — 5 
			 Stocken — 9 
			 Stoke Heath 14 11 
			 Styal 7 6 
			 Sudbury 2 12 
			 Swaleside — — 
			 Swansea — — 
			 Swinfen Hall 12 5 
			 The Mount 12 16 
			 The Verne — — 
			 Thorn Cross 3 3 
			 Usk/Prescoed — — 
			 Wakefield 8 8 
			 Wandsworth 17 58 
			 Warren Hill — 3 
			 Wayland 11 6 
			 Wealstun — 5 
			 Weare 9 7 
			 Wellingborough 4 10 
			 Werrington 3 4 
			 Wetherby 6 — 
			 Whatton — — 
			 Whitemoor 41 62 
			 Winchester 1 9 
			 Woodhill 17 31 
			 Wormwood Scrubs — 23 
			 Wymott 13 19 
			 Total 844 1,068 
		
	
	Note:
	Establishments showing —" currently have no shortfall of staff

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped from each prison in the first six months of 2005; and how many have not been recaptured.

Fiona Mactaggart: In February 2005 there were two escapes from the Verne prison and both prisoners have been recaptured. There have been no other escapes during this period.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prison officers and (b) non-uniformed prison staff were working in Her Majesty's Prison Service on 24 June.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 31 May 2005, the closest day to 24 June for which information is available, there were (a) 24,400 officers and (b) 23, 774 other prison staff working in the public sector Prison Service. These two figures represent the total staffing of the public sector Prison Service but include 7,271 operational support grades and 1,131 nurses who would be expected towear a uniform. Non-uniformed staff carry out arange of functions, covering operational management, chaplaincy, psychology, industrial work, administration, catering and farms and gardens. Staffing numbers within privately managed establishments are not collected by the Office for Contracted Prisons and are therefore not available.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires there were in prisons in the first five months of 2005, broken down by prison; and whether (a) prison staff and (b) prisoners were hurt in each case.

Fiona Mactaggart: There have been 414 fires in prisons between 1 January and 31 May 2005. The following table gives a breakdown of incidents by establishment. Information is not held centrally on the number of staff or prisoners injured as a result of these incidents and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Establishment Totals 
		
		
			 Acklington 1 
			 Altcourse 4 
			 Ashfield 1 
			 Ashwell 1 
			 Bedford 2 
			 Belmarsh 1 
			 Birmingham 4 
			 Blakenhurst 7 
			 Brinsford 5 
			 Bristol 3 
			 Brixton 6 
			 Bronzefield 3 
			 Buckley Hall 4 
			 Bullingdon 2 
			 Bullwood Hall 7 
			 Camphill 9 
			 Castington 2 
			 Channings Wood 2 
			 Chelmsford 7 
			 Dartmoor 2 
			 Deerbolt 8 
			 Doncaster 3 
			 Dorchester 1 
			 Dovegate 2 
			 Downview 5 
			 Durham 15 
			 Eastwood Park 17 
			 Edmunds Hill 2 
			 Elmley 4 
			 Erlestoke 1 
			 Exeter 4 
			 Featherstone 1 
			 Feltham 24 
			 Ford 1 
			 Forest Bank 9 
			 Foston Hall 4 
			 Frankland 3 
			 Full Sutton 10 
			 Garth 1 
			 Glen Parva 1 
			 Gloucester 4 
			 Guys Marsh 1 
			 Hewell Grange 1 
			 Highdown 10 
			 Highpoint 9 
			 Hindley 5 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 
			 Holloway 1 
			 Hull 4 
			 Huntercombe 3 
			 Kirklevington 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 4 
			 Leeds 7 
			 Lewes 5 
			 Lincoln 4 
			 Lindholme 3 
			 Littlehey 1 
			 Liverpool 4 
			 Long Lartin 2 
			 Lowdham Grange 2 
			 Low Newton 9 
			 Maidstone 2 
			 Manchester 5 
			 Moorland 1 
			 Morton Hall 4 
			 New Hall 4 
			 Norwich 5 
			 Nottingham 2 
			 Parc 4 
			 Parkhurst 8 
			 Pentonville 4 
			 Portland 5 
			 Preston 4 
			 Ranby 2 
			 Reading 2 
			 Risley 7 
			 Rochester 3 
			 Rye Hill 5 
			 Stafford 1 
			 Stoke Heath 5 
			 Styal 5 
			 Swaleside 3 
			 Swansea 3 
			 The Mount 2 
			 The Verne 1 
			 Wakefield 4 
			 Wandsworth 20 
			 Wayland 2 
			 Wellingborough 6 
			 Wetherby 1 
			 Whitemoor 5 
			 Winchester 5 
			 Wolds 1 
			 Woodhill 2 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 9 
			 Wymott 2 
			 Total 414

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the sites which are under consideration for the building of new prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: Although a number of sites have previously been identified as potentially suitable, no decision to buy a site has been made. If a site is under consideration for acquisition, details could not be disclosed for commercial reasons. Any Member in whose constituency where we have decided to buy a site or where we are planning to build a new prison will be kept up to date on developments by the Home Office.
	The National Offender Management Service owns two sites at Merseyside and Thamesmead, London, but no decision has been taken to build on them.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons and detention centres are fitted with sprinkler equipment; and which areas of each such establishment are protected by the sprinkler system.

Fiona Mactaggart: Prison kitchens and workshops are the high risk areas in which sprinklers are widely installed. The only prison establishment that has sprinklers in the living accommodation is the prison ship HMP Weare.
	The current situation with regard to sprinklers in Detention Centres is:
	Harmondsworth—sprinklers installed throughout
	Colnbrook—sprinklers installed throughout
	Yarl's Wood—sprinklers installed throughout
	Campsfield House—no sprinklers installed
	Tinsley House—no sprinklers
	Dungavel—sprinklers installed within the new house block. Other areas managed by the fire evacuation strategy plans.
	Oakington—no sprinklers
	Lindholme—no sprinklers Dover- no sprinklers
	Haslar—no sprinklers
	All prisons and detention centres manage fire risks by means of detailed evacuation and fire strategy plans.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were held in prisons in England and Wales on 24 June, broken down by (a) nationality and (b) prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is not available for 24 June. Information for 31 May 2005, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, is provided in the tables.
	
		Population of foreign nationals in prison establishments(17), by establishment, England and Wales, 31 May 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Total 9,576 
			   
			 Acklington 18 
			 Albany 34 
			 Altcourse 30 
			 Ashfield 7 
			 Ashwell 47 
			 Askham Grange 4 
			 Aylesbury 60 
			 Bedford 60 
			 Belmarsh 212 
			 Birmingham 136 
			 Blakenhurst 68 
			 Blantyre House 5 
			 Blundeston 107 
			 Brinsford 17 
			 Bristol 53 
			 Brixton 271 
			 Brockhill 9 
			 Bronzefield 131 
			 Buckley Hall 25 
			 Bullingdon 128 
			 Bullwood Hall 20 
			 Camp Hill 97 
			 Canterbury 35 
			 Cardiff 52 
			 Castington 5 
			 Channings Wood 31 
			 Chelmsford 126 
			 Coldingly 75 
			 Cookham Wood 32 
			 Dartmoor 37 
			 Deerbolt 5 
			 Doncaster 74 
			 Dorchester 20 
			 Dovegate 89 
			 Dover 320 
			 Downview 83 
			 Drake Hall 61 
			 Durham 24 
			 East Sutton Park 20 
			 Eastwood Park 14 
			 Edmunds Hill 31 
			 Elmley 215 
			 Erlestoke 30 
			 Everthorpe 11 
			 Exeter 22 
			 Featherstone 48 
			 Feltham 193 
			 Ford 136 
			 Forest Bank 33 
			 Foston Hall 5 
			 Frankland 36 
			 Full Sutton 55 
			 Garth 43 
			 Gartree 35 
			 Glen Parva 51 
			 Gloucester 18 
			 Grendon (Spring Hill) 40 
			 Guys Marsh 41 
			 Haslar 146 
			 Haverigg 13 
			 Hewell Grange 16 
			 Highdown 194 
			 Highpoint South 191 
			 Hindley 11 
			 Hollesley Bay (Warren Hill) 58 
			 Holloway 142 
			 Holme House 27 
			 Hull 49 
			 Huntercombe 60 
			 Kingston (Portsmouth) 19 
			 Kirkham 19 
			 Kirklevington 3 
			 Lancaster 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 12 
			 Latchmere House 36 
			 Leeds 73 
			 Leicester 37 
			 Lewes 62 
			 Leyhill 51 
			 Lincoln 27 
			 Lindholme 35 
			 Littlehey 94 
			 Liverpool 54 
			 Long Lartin 55 
			 Low Newton 14 
			 Lowdham Grange 74 
			 Maidstone 114 
			 Manchester 147 
			 Moorland 23 
			 Moorland Open 6 
			 Morton Hall 211 
			 Mount 193 
			 New Hall 20 
			 North Sea Camp 21 
			 Northallerton 3 
			 Norwich 70 
			 Nottingham 37 
			 Onley 35 
			 Parc 35 
			 Parkhurst 79 
			 Pentonville 344 
			 Peterborough 36 
			 Portland 67 
			 Preston 25 
			 Ranby 55 
			 Reading 18 
			 Risley 43 
			 Rochester 73 
			 Rye Hill 78 
			 Send 39 
			 Shepton Mallet 7 
			 Shrewsbury 20 
			 Stafford 43 
			 Standford Hill 100 
			 Stocken 46 
			 Stoke Heath 21 
			 Styal 26 
			 Sudbury 42 
			 Swaleside 191 
			 Swansea 12 
			 Swinfen Hall 35 
			 Thorn Cross 7 
			 Usk (Prescoed) 19 
			 Verne 268 
			 Wakefield 30 
			 Wandsworth 384 
			 Warren Hill 19 
			 Wayland 147 
			 Wealstun 33 
			 Weare 53 
			 Wellingborough 73 
			 Werrington 3 
			 Wetherby 7 
			 Whatton 24 
			 Whitemoor 59 
			 Winchester 76 
			 Wolds 17 
			 Woodhill 114 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 624 
			 Wymott 44 
		
	
	(17) Figures include persons held in immigration removal centres at Dover, Haslar and Lindholme
	
		Population of foreign nationals in prison establishments,(18) by nationality England and Wales, 31 May 2005
		
			 Foreign national Total 
		
		
			 Total 9,576 
			   
			 Total Africa 2,416 
			 Algeria 139 
			 Angola 66 
			 Benin 7 
			 Botswana 2 
			 Burundi 6 
			 Cameroon, United Republic 30 
			 Central African Republic 11 
			 Chad 1 
			 Congo, Republic of 75 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 45 
			 Co(r)te d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 23 
			 Djibouti 1 
			 Egypt 26 
			 Equatorial Guinea 2 
			 Ethiopia 39 
			 French Guiana 3 
			 Gabon 1 
			 Gambia 37 
			 Ghana 184 
			 Guinea 13 
			 Guinea-Bissau 1 
			 Kenya 59 
			 Liberia 39 
			 Libya 21 
			 Malawi 15 
			 Mali 2 
			 Mauritania 3 
			 Mauritius 17 
			 Morocco 38 
			 Mozambique 3 
			 Namibia 7 
			 Niger 2 
			 Nigeria 721 
			 Rwanda 10 
			 Sao Tome and Principe 1 
			 Senegal 7 
			 Seychelles 1 
			 Sierra Leone 64 
			 Somalia 255 
			 South Africa 152 
			 Sudan 35 
			 Swaziland 1 
			 Tanzania 14 
			 Togo 12 
			 Tunisia 13 
			 Uganda 63 
			 Zambia 18 
			 Zimbabwe 134 
			   
			 Total Asia 1,277 
			 Bangladesh 136 
			 Bhutan 1 
			 China 219 
			 Hong Kong 15 
			 India 230 
			 Indonesia 4 
			 Japan 2 
			 Korea Republic of (Sth) 5 
			 Malaysia 30 
			 Maldives 1 
			 Mongolia 5 
			 Myanmar (Burma) 3 
			 Nepal 6 
			 Pakistan 374 
			 Philippines 13 
			 Sri Lanka 132 
			 Surinam 3 
			 Thailand 4 
			 Vietnam 96 
			   
			 Total Central or South America 310 
			 Argentina 6 
			 Belize 1 
			 Bolivia 8 
			 Brazil 39 
			 Chile 17 
			 Columbia 136 
			 Costa Rica 4 
			 Ecuador 9 
			 Mexico 17 
			 Panama 1 
			 Paraguay 1 
			 Peru 3 
			 Uruguay 1 
			 Venezuela 68 
			   
			 Total Europe 2,799 
			 Albania 103 
			 Andorra 1 
			 Armenia 3 
			 Austria 7 
			 Azerbijan 1 
			 Belgium 45 
			 Bosnia-Hercegovina 5 
			 Bulgaria 10 
			 Croatia 11 
			 Cyprus 57 
			 Czech Republic 19 
			 Denmark 8 
			 Estonia 6 
			 Finland 5 
			 France 144 
			 Georgia 11 
			 Germany 121 
			 Gibraltar 4 
			 Greece 27 
			 Hungary 13 
			 Irish Republic 697 
			 Italy 105 
			 Kazakhstan 4 
			 Kyrgystan 3 
			 Latvia 34 
			 Lithuania 124 
			 Macedonia 16 
			 Malta 6 
			 Moldova 47 
			 Netherlands 161 
			 Norway 5 
			 Poland 99 
			 Portugal 177 
			 Romania 140 
			 Russia 109 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 91 
			 Slovakia 6 
			 Slovenia 2 
			 Spain 96 
			 Sweden 16 
			 Switzerland 9 
			 Turkey 254 
			   
			 Total Middle East 530 
			 Afghanistan 97 
			 Iran 120 
			 Iraq 218 
			 Israel 24 
			 Jordan 8 
			 Kuwait 10 
			 Lebanon 18 
			 Oman 1 
			 Republic of Yemen 12 
			 Saudi Arabia 8 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 11 
			 United Arab Emirates 4 
			   
			 Total North America 104 
			 Canada 27 
			 United States of America 77 
			   
			 Total Oceania 44 
			 Australia 19 
			 Canton and Enderbury Island 1 
			 Fiji 6 
			 French Southern Territories 1 
			 Kiribati 1 
			 New Zealand 13 
			 Papua New Guinea 2 
			 Samoa 1 
			   
			 Total Other 13 
			   
			 Total West Indies 2,082 
			 Aruba 1 
			 Bahamas 3 
			 Barbados 31 
			 Bermuda 3 
			 Dominica 8 
			 Dominican Republic 9 
			 Grenada 29 
			 Guyana 42 
			 Haiti 2 
			 Jamaica 1,774 
			 Montserrat 6 
			 Netherlands Antilles 17 
			 St Christopher and Nevis 1 
			 St Kitts and Nevis 5 
			 St Lucia 23 
			 St Vincent and The Grenadines 10 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 119 
		
	
	(18) Figures include persons held in immigration removal centres at Dover, Haslar and Lindholme.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are serving a custodial sentence of (a) less than 12 months and (b) over 12 months, broken down by nationality and gender.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, is provided in the following table.
	
		Population of prison establishments(19) under an immediate custodial sentence, by nationality, sentence length and sex England and Wales, 31 May 2005
		
			  Males Females 
			  Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total males Less than 12 months 12 months or more Total females Total 
		
		
			 Total 7,437 51,271 58,708 675 2,795 3,470 62,178 
			 Total UK nationals 6,775 45,886 52,661 600 2,205 2,806 55,467 
			 Total Foreign nationals 635 5,251 5,886 69 569 638 6,524 
			 Total Unrecorded 27 134 161 6 21 27 188 
			 
			 Total Africa 198 1,112 1,310 36 145 182 1,491 
			 Algeria 25 59 84 — — — 84 
			 Angola 6 31 37 — — — 37 
			 Benin — 7 7 — — — 7 
			 Botswana — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Burundi 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Cameroon, United Republic 2 4 6 — 1 1 7 
			 Central African Republic — 7 7 — — — 7 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4 24 28 — — — 28 
			 Congo, Republic of 4 36 40 2 — 2 42 
			 Co(r)te d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 2 15 17 — — — 17 
			 Djibouti — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Egypt 4 7 11 3 — 3 14 
			 Equatorial Guinea — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Ethiopia 6 11 17 4 — 4 20 
			 French Guiana 1 2 3 — — — 3 
			 Gabon 1 — 1 — — — 1 
			 Gambia 2 12 14 — 1 1 15 
			 Ghana 11 104 114 1 19 20 135 
			 Guinea 1 4 5 — — — 5 
			 Kenya 3 34 37 — 3 3 40 
			 Liberia 4 9 13 — 2 2 15 
			 Libya 1 11 12 — — — 12 
			 Malawi — 6 6 1 1 2 8 
			 Mali — — — — 1 1 1 
			 Mauritania 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Mauritius 1 7 8 — 1 1 9 
			 Morocco 1 22 23 — 1 1 24 
			 Mozambique 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Namibia — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Niger 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Nigeria 31 305 337 18 83 101 438 
			 Rwanda 1 4 5 — 1 1 6 
			 Sao Tome and Principe — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Senegal 1 3 4 — — — 4 
			 Seychelles — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Sierra Leone 7 28 35 — 1 1 36 
			 Somalia 34 124 158 2 1 3 161 
			 South Africa 2 83 85 3 20 23 107 
			 Sudan 3 12 15 — 1 1 16 
			 Swaziland — — — — 1 1 1 
			 Tanzania 2 7 9 — — — 9 
			 Togo — 7 7 — 2 2 9 
			 Tunisia 2 8 10 — — — 10 
			 Uganda 10 38 48 — 1 1 49 
			 Zambia 2 11 13 — — — 13 
			 Zimbabwe 22 56 78 3 4 7 85 
			 
			 Total Asia 105 659 763 10 23 33 796 
			 Bangladesh 15 73 89 — 2 2 91 
			 China 19 77 96 3 2 5 100 
			 Hong Kong 1 14 15 — — — 15 
			 India 14 111 124 3 4 7 131 
			 Indonesia — 4 4 — — — 4 
			 Japan — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Korea Republic of (Sth) — 3 3 — 2 2 5 
			 Malaysia 3 9 12 — 1 1 13 
			 Mongolia — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Myanmar (Burma) 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Nepal 2 — 2 — — — 2 
			 Pakistan 29 241 270 2 7 8 279 
			 Philippines 3 7 10 — 1 1 11 
			 Sri Lanka 16 71 87 1 — 1 88 
			 Surinam — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Thailand — 2 2 — 1 1 3 
			 Vietnam 2 39 41 2 3 5 46 
			 
			 Total Central or South America 13 191 203 5 25 30 234 
			 Argentina 1 3 4 — — — 4 
			 Belize — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Bolivia — 4 4 1 1 2 6 
			 Brazil 4 15 19 2 7 9 28 
			 Chile — 9 9 — — — 9 
			 Columbia 5 90 95 2 5 7 102 
			 Costa Rica — 3 3 — 1 1 4 
			 Ecuador 2 2 4 — — — 4 
			 Mexico — 8 8 — — — 8 
			 Panama — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Paraguay — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Peru — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Uruguay — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Venezuela 1 49 50 — 11 11 61 
			 
			 Total Europe 217 1,510 1,727 16 159 175 1,902 
			 Albania 12 51 63 — — — 63 
			 Armenia — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Austria — 3 3 — 3 3 6 
			 Azerbijan — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Belgium 1 23 24 — 7 7 31 
			 Bosnia-Hercegovina — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Bulgaria — 3 3 — 1 1 4 
			 Croatia — 2 2 1 — 1 3 
			 Cyprus 5 48 52 — — — 52 
			 Czech Republic 2 9 11 — — — 11 
			 Denmark — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Estonia 1 1 2 — — — 2 
			 Finland — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 France 15 78 93 — 14 14 107 
			 Georgia — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Germany 8 69 76 3 17 20 96 
			 Gibraltar 1 3 4 — — — 4 
			 Greece 1 15 16 — 2 2 18 
			 Hungary — 11 11 — — — 11 
			 Irish Republic 62 461 523 7 28 35 558 
			 Italy 5 60 65 1 12 13 78 
			 Kazakhstan — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Kyrgystan — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Latvia 5 17 22 — 1 1 23 
			 Lithuania 7 41 48 1 5 6 54 
			 Macedonia 1 6 7 — — — 7 
			 Malta — 3 3 — 1 1 4 
			 Moldova 2 13 15 — — — 15 
			 Netherlands 3 88 91 — 25 25 116 
			 Norway — 3 3 — — — 3 
			 Poland 16 35 51 — 2 2 53 
			 Portugal 24 97 121 — 11 11 132 
			 Romania 5 66 71 — 6 6 77 
			 Russia 15 37 52 3 3 6 58 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 6 49 55 — 1 1 56 
			 Slovakia — 3 3 — 1 1 4 
			 Spain 5 55 59 — 13 13 73 
			 Sweden — 6 6 — 3 3 9 
			 Switzerland — 6 6 — 2 2 8 
			 Turkey 17 129 146 1 1 2 148 
			 
			 Total Middle East 58 237 294 — 2 2 296 
			 Afghanistan 11 32 43 — — — 43 
			 Iran 14 48 63 — — — 63 
			 Iraq 30 110 140 — — — 140 
			 Israel — 12 12 — — — 12 
			 Jordan — 5 5 — — — 5 
			 Kuwait — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Lebanon 1 7 8 — 1 1 9 
			 Republic of Yemen — 9 9 — — — 9 
			 Saudi Arabia — 4 4 — — — 4 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 1 5 6 — — — 6 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 2 3 — 1 1 4 
			 
			 Total North America 4 62 65 — 17 17 82 
			 Canada 1 15 16 — 4 4 20 
			 United States of America 3 46 49 — 13 13 62 
			 
			 Total Oceania 6 28 34 — 1 1 35 
			 Australia 5 11 16 — — — 16 
			 Fiji — 5 5 — — — 5 
			 French Southern Territories — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Kiribati — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 New Zealand 1 8 9 — 1 1 10 
			 Papua New Guinea — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Samoa — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 
			 Total Other — 8 8 — — — 8 
			 
			 Total West Indies 35 1,445 1,481 1 197 198 1,678 
			 Aruba — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Bahamas — 1 1 — 2 2 3 
			 Barbados — 24 24 — 2 2 26 
			 Bermuda — 1 1 — — — 1 
			 Dominica — 5 5 — — — 5 
			 Dominican Republic — 3 3 — 2 2 5 
			 Grenada 1 18 19 — 4 4 23 
			 Guyana 1 24 25 — 5 5 30 
			 Haiti — 2 2 — — — 2 
			 Jamaica 28 1,260 1,288 1 140 141 1,429 
			 Montserrat — 4 4 — — — 4 
			 Netherlands Antilles — 12 12 — 2 2 14 
			 St. Kitts and Nevis — 3 3 — 1 1 4 
			 St. Lucia 1 16 17 — 2 2 19 
			 St. Vincent and The Grenadines 2 7 9 — 1 1 10 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 3 63 66 — 35 35 101 
		
	
	(19) Figures include persons held in immigration removal centres at Dover, Haslar and Lindholme

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been recruited by the Prison Service since the managed recruitment ban was lifted.

Fiona Mactaggart: Between 1 April 2005, when the managed recruitment freeze was lifted, and 20 June, 1,107 staff have been recruited to Her Majesty's Prison Service.
	The managed recruitment freeze did not affect contracted prisons and therefore they have been excluded from the figures.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies for staff in prison establishments there were on the last date for which figures are available; how many staff were working out their notice period; how many staff in prison establishments are expected to retire before 1 April; and how many staff he estimates are required to fill all posts at prison establishments.

Fiona Mactaggart: At 31 May 2005 23,869 prison officer grade staff were employed at public sector prison establishments (excluding Headquarters) against an operational staffing requirement of 24,530 at 30 June. In addition, the equivalent of 412 officers were available for operational duty through the contract supplementary hours scheme. Overall, operational staffing availability was therefore just one per cent below the operational staffing requirement. The Director General considers this to be within an acceptable operating margin.
	For all grades of staff working in prison establishments (excluding headquarters) there was a shortfall between staff in post and operational staffing requirement of 1,459 (3.1 per cent.) at 30 June 2005. This figure represents a snapshot and does not take into account new staff still in the recruitment process. A total of 46,470 staff (covering all grades) would need to be employed in public sector prison establishments to fill all identified posts at 30 June 2005.
	Information on the number of staff working out their notice is not recorded centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. Between 1 June 2005 and 1 April 2006, 555 staff are expected to retire. Information on required staffing levels within prisons managed by the private sector is not collected centrally in this form and is therefore not available.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison cells were available for use at each prison establishment on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many prisoners could be housed in those cells.

Fiona Mactaggart: The total number of prison cells and other accommodation is not recorded centrally. The standard unit of prison accommodation is the prison place, which may be located in cells, cubicles, dormitories, rooms or wards. When totalled it represents the uncrowded capacity of a prison, or certified normal accommodation (CNA).
	The total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold in its accommodation is the prison's operational capacity. It is determined by Prison Service area managers on the basis of operational judgment and experience, taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.
	Data on prison capacity in England and Wales, as at 24 June 2005 (the last date for which figures are available), is set out in table 1.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Prison CNA Op Cap 
		
		
			 Acklington 882 882 
			 Albany 526 526 
			 Altcourse 614 903 
			 Ashfield 400 360 
			 Ashwell 535 545 
			 Askham Grange 129 131 
			 Aylesbury 432 438 
			 Bedford 324 494 
			 Belmarsh 799 917 
			 Birmingham 1,121 1,402 
			 Blakenhurst 821 1,060 
			 Blantyre House 122 122 
			 Blundeston 420 464 
			 Brinsford 477 493 
			 Bristol 426 606 
			 Brixton 606 798 
			 Brockhill 145 148 
			 Bronzefield 451 451 
			 Buckley Hall 350 385 
			 Bullingdon 759 963 
			 Bullwood Hall 167 171 
			 Camp Hill 513 585 
			 Canterbury 196 314 
			 Cardiff 525 754 
			 Castington 400 410 
			 Channings Wood 634 667 
			 Chelmsford 437 575 
			 Coldingley 370 390 
			 Cookham Wood 120 168 
			 Dartmoor 598 625 
			 Deerbolt 513 518 
			 Doncaster 771 1,120 
			 Dorchester 147 260 
			 Dovegate 800 800 
			 Dover(20) 314 314 
			 Downview 251 251 
			 Drake Hall 315 315 
			 Durham 496 725 
			 East Sutton Park 94 100 
			 Eastwood Park 310 346 
			 Edmunds Hill 160 160 
			 Elmley 753 985 
			 Erlestoke 426 426 
			 Everthorpe 423 469 
			 Exeter 316 533 
			 Featherstone 599 615 
			 Feltham 761 761 
			 Ford 541 541 
			 Forest Bank 800 1,040 
			 Foston Hall 223 223 
			 Frankland 718 734 
			 Full Sutton 596 608 
			 Garth 633 667 
			 Gartree 435 440 
			 Glen Parva 668 808 
			 Gloucester 214 313 
			 Grendon 241 235 
			 Guys Marsh 519 570 
			 Haslar* 160 160 
			 Haverigg 536 546 
			 Hewell Grange 176 176 
			 Highdown 627 736 
			 Highpoint 776 800 
			 Hindley 455 455 
			 Hollesley Bay 330 330 
			 Holloway 483 485 
			 Holme House 857 994 
			 Hull 812 1,071 
			 Huntercombe 360 368 
			 Kingston 194 196 
			 Kirkham 588 590 
			 Kirklevington 223 223 
			 Lancaster 159 244 
			 Lancaster Farms 480 527 
			 Latchmere House 207 207 
			 Leeds 806 1,254 
			 Leicester 191 355 
			 Lewes 458 545 
			 Leyhill 508 508 
			 Lincoln 307 490 
			 Lindholme* 802 849 
			 Littlehey 664 706 
			 Liverpool 1,163 1 ,438 
			 Long Lartin 444 444 
			 Low Newton 343 396 
			 Lowdham Grange 504 500 
			 Maidstone 548 548 
			 Manchester 954 1,269 
			 Moorland 740 779 
			 Moorland Open 260 260 
			 Morton Hall 391 392 
			 Mount 704 708 
			 New Hall 367 426 
			 North Sea Camp 306 306 
			 Northallerton 127 209 
			 Norwich 591 823 
			 Nottingham 385 510 
			 Onley 520 520 
			 Pare 839 1,036 
			 Parkhurst 459 507 
			 Pentonville 868 1,189 
			 Peterborough 525 525 
			 Portland 382 398 
			 Prescoed 160 170 
			 Preston 331 620 
			 Ranby 912 1,038 
			 Reading 190 297 
			 Risley 1,038 1,073 
			 Rochester 392 392 
			 Rye Hill 600 600 
			 Send 218 218 
			 Shepton Mallet 160 186 
			 Shrewsbury 168 300 
			 Spring Hill 314 314 
			 Stafford 680 680 
			 Standford Hill 464 464 
			 Stocken 595 622 
			 Stoke Heath 574 690 
			 Styal 405 455 
			 Sudbury 563 571 
			 Swaleside 756 778 
			 Swansea 248 425 
			 Swinfen Hall 590 590 
			 Thorn Cross 316 316 
			 Usk 150 250 
			 Verne 552 587 
			 Wakefield 561 565 
			 Wandsworth 966 1,416 
			 Warren Hill 222 222 
			 Wayland 657 709 
			 Wealstun 842 892 
			 Weare 398 398 
			 Wellingborough 548 548 
			 Werrington 146 148 
			 Wetherby 360 360 
			 Whatton 319 360 
			 Whitemoor 464 458 
			 Winchester 476 695 
			 Wolds 330 350 
			 Woodhill 650 762 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1,167 1,239 
			 Wymott 997 1,046 
		
	
	(20) Dover and Haslar in their entirety and 112 of Lindholme's places are designated immigration removal centres (IRCs), which are managed by the Prison Service on behalf of immigration and nationality directorate

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were being held in prison on 24 June; how many prisoners were released on early release on 24 June; how many prisoners were eligible for early release on 24 June; and how many prisoners were released on 24 June.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 24 June 2005 there were 71,578 males and 4,501 females held in prison establishments in England and Wales, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system. There were an estimated 154 prisoners with a sentence length of three months to less than four years whose home detention curfew (HDC) eligibility date was 24 June 2005. On that date, 46 prisoners were released on HDC. Information on the number of prisoners discharged by other means on 24 June 2005 is not yet available. The number of prisoners with a sentence length of three months to less than four years will include some prisoners who are not eligible for HDC because of the nature of their current or previous offences. The figures also exclude a small number of prisoners in the population who are on remand at the end of the previous month, but are subsequently sentenced to a custodial sentence suitable for HDC and whose HDC eligibility date falls on that date. This occurs when they have spent a significant time on remand.

Prisons

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on television licences for prisons, broken down by establishment, in 2004.

Fiona Mactaggart: Prisoners have access to television in-cell as part of the Incentive and Earned Privileges Scheme. Prisoners rent these sets for a weekly charge of £1. The revenue generated is used to pay for the televisions and their replacements. Televisions in-cell are covered by Crown exemption and do not require a television licence. A small number of televisions in communal areas of a prison are licensed. The amount of money spent by each establishment on television licences for these sets is not centrally recorded.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners aged (a) under 21 years, (b) 21 to 40 years, (c) 40 to 60 years and (d) over 60 years died of natural causes in each year since 2000, broken down by prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested with respect to apparent natural causes deaths in prisons in England and Wales is provided in the following table. Prisons, together with their local healthcare partners, assess the healthcare needs of their populations, whatever their age, and develop services to meet those needs. The National Offender Management Service, Prison Service and Department of Health are working closely together to improve health care provision for prisoners. Key achievements include developing better mental health provision, including NHS-funded in-reach teams; supporting improvements in primary care services; developing the prison health workforce and improving the prison health estate. NHS primary care trusts started to assume responsibility for the commissioning of prison health services in public prisons in England in April 2004. This process is expected to be completed by April 2006. All deaths in custody are subject to a coroner's inquest and (since April 2004) an investigation by the prisons and probation ombudsman (PPO). The PPO's recommendations are considered carefully and the reports are analysed to identify common trends, issues that need to be addressed and good practice examples that can be disseminated.
	
		
			   Number of apparent natural causes deaths 
			 Establishment Age Group 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005(21) 
		
		
			 Acklington 40–59 — 2 1 1 1 — 
			  60+ — — 1 2 2 2 
			 
			 Albany 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — 2 1 1 1 
			  60+ 1 3 — 2 1 1 
			 
			 Altcourse 21–39 — 1 — — — — 
			  40–59 — 2 1 1 — — 
			  60+ — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Ashwell 40–59 — — — 1 — — 
			  60+ — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Bedford 21–39 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Belmarsh 21–39 — — 1 1 1 — 
			  40–59 1 — — — — — 
			  60+ — 1 1 2 1 — 
			 
			 Birmingham 21–39 — 2 — 1 — — 
			  40–59 1 — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Blakenhurst 21–39 — — 1 — — — 
			  40–59 — 2 — — 1 — 
			  60+ — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Blundeston 40–59 1 — — — — — 
			  60+ — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Bristol 21–39 1 — — — 2 — 
			  40–59 — — — — 2 — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Brixton 60+ 3 — — — — — 
			 
			 Brockhill 21–39 — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Bullingdon 21–39 — — 1 — — — 
			  60+ — — — 1 2 1 
			 
			 
			 Camp Hill 60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Canterbury 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Cardiff 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Channings Wood 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  60+ — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Chelmsford 40–59 — — 1 — 1 — 
			 
			 Coldingley 40–59 2 — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Dartmoor 40–59 1 — — 1 — — 
			  60+ 1 1 — — — — 
			  <21 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Doncaster 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 1 1 — 
			  21–39 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Dovegate 40–59 — — — — 1 1 
			  60+ — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Downview 21–39 1 — — — — — 
			 
			 Drake Hall 21–39 1 — — — — — 
			  40–59 1 — — — — — 
			 
			 Durham 21–39 1 — — — 1 — 
			  40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			  60+ 2 1 — 1 1 — 
			 
			 East Sutton Park 40–59 — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Eastwood Park 21–39 — — — — 1 — 
			  40–59 — — 1 — 2 — 
			 
			 Edmunds Hill 60+ — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Elmley 21–39 — 1 — — — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			  60+ — — — — 2 1 
			 
			 Everthorpe 40–59 — 2 — — — — 
			 
			 Exeter 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — 1 — — — — 
			  60+ — — — — — 1 
			 
			 Ford 60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Forest Bank 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Foston Hall 60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Frankland 40–59 3 — 1 — 1 1 
			  60+ 3 3 3 1 2 1 
			 
			 Full Sutton 21–39 1 — — — 1 — 
			  40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			  60+ — — — 2 — — 
			 
			 Garth 40–59 1 — 1 1 — — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Gartree 40–59 1 — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Gloucester 21–39 — 1 — — — — 
			  40–59 1 — — — — 1 
			  60+ — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Grendon 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Guys Marsh 21–39 — — — — — 1 
			  40–59 — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Haslar 21–39 — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Haverigg 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Hewell Grange 40–59 — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 High Down 21–39 1 — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Hollesley Bay 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			  60+ — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Holloway 21–39 — — — 1 1 — 
			 
			 Holme House 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 1 — — — — — 
			  60+ — 2 — — 1 — 
			 
			 Hull 21–39 1 1 — — — — 
			  40–59 — 1 — — 2 — 
			  60+ — — — 1 2 — 
			 
			 Kingston 40–59 — 1 1 2 1 — 
			  60+ — — 1 — 3 — 
			 
			 Kirkham 21–39 — — — — 1 — 
			  40–59 — — — — — 2 
			 
			 Latchmere House 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Leeds 40–59 — — 1 1 — 1 
			  60+ — — — — — 1 
			 
			 Leicester 40–59 1 — — — 1 — 
			  60+ 1 — — — — — 
			 
			 Lewes 60+ — — — — 1 1 
			 
			 Leyhill 40–59 1 — 1 — 1 — 
			  60+ — — 1 — — 1 
			 
			 Lincoln 60+ — 1 — — 1 — 
			 
			 Lindholme 21–39 — 1 — — 1 — 
			 
			 Littlehey 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 — 1 — 
			  60+ 4 — 1 2 — 3 
			 
			 Liverpool 21–39 — 1 1 — — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 1 — — 
			  60+ 1 — — 2 1 — 
			 
			 Low Newton 21–39 — — — — 1 — 
			 Lowdham Grange 40–59 — — — — — 1 
			 
			 Maidstone 40–59 — 1 1 — — — 
			  60+ — — — 2 2 — 
			 
			 Manchester 21–39 2 — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 2 — — 
			  60+ — 1 1 — — 1 
			 
			 Moorland 21–39 1 — — — — — 
			 
			 Mount, The 21–39 — — — — 1 — 
			  40–59 — 1 — — — — 
			 
			 New Hall 21–39 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 North Sea Camp 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Norwich 21–39 — — 1 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — 1 1 1 — 
			 
			 Nottingham 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — 1 — — — — 
			  60+ 1 — 2 — — — 
			 
			 Pare 21–39 — — 1 — — 1 
			  40–59 1 1 — — 1 — 
			  60+ — — — 3 1 — 
			 
			 Parkhurst 21–39 1 — — — — — 
			  40–59 — — — 1 1 — 
			  60+ 2 — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Prison escort and custody services, area 1 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			 
			 Pentonville 21–39 — 2 1 — — 1 
			  40–59 1 1 — 1 — — 
			  60+ — — 3 — — — 
			 
			 Preston 21–39 — 1 — — — — 
			  40–59 — — — — 2 — 
			  60+ 1 1 — — — — 
			 
			 Ranby 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Risley 40–59 — — 1 — — — 
			  60+ — 4 — 1 — — 
			 
			 Rye Hill 40–59 — — 1 — 4 1 
			  60+ — — — 3 1 — 
			 
			 Shepton Mallet 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Shrewsbury 60+ 1 — — — — — 
			 
			 Stafford 60+ — — — 2 1 — 
			 
			 Standford Hill 40–59 — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Stocken 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			  60+ — — 2 — — — 
			 
			 Swaleside 21–39 1 — 1 — — — 
			  40–59 — — 2 1 1 1 
			  60+ 1 — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Swansea 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Usk/Prescoed 40–59 — — — — — 1 
			  60+ — 1 — 1 — — 
			 
			 Verne, The 40–59 — 1 — 1 — — 
			 
			 Wakefield 21–39 — 1 — 2 1 — 
			  40–59 1 2 1 2 1 — 
			  60+ — 2 — 1 2 1 
			 Wandsworth 21–39 — 1 — — — 2 
			  40–59 1 — 1 1 — 1 
			  60+ — 2 — — —  
			 
			 Wayland 40–59 — 1 — — 1 — 
			 
			 Wealstun 40–59 — — — 1 — — 
			 
			 Weare 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Whatton 40–59 — — — — 1 — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Whitemoor 40–59 1 — — 2 1 — 
			  60+ — — — — 1 — 
			 
			 Winchester 40–59 1 1 — — 2 — 
			  60+ — 1 — 1 1 — 
			 
			 Wolds 40–59 1 — — — — — 
			  60+ — — 1 — — — 
			  21–39 — 1 — 1 — — 
			 
			 Woodhill 40–59 — 1 — 1 1 — 
			  60+ — — — 1 — 2 
			 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 21–39 — — — 1 — — 
			  40–59 1 — — 1 — 1 
			  21–39 — — — — — 1 
			 
			 Wymott 40–59 — — 1 1 1 1 
			  60+ 4 1 2 1 6 2 
			 
			 Total — 62 67 68 85 100 39 
		
	
	(21) To 4 July.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) remand and (b) sentenced prisoners aged over 60 years are held in prisons in England and Wales, broken down by (i) prison, (ii) sex and (iii) ethnicity.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system, is provided in the tables. The breakdown by establishment and sex is for 31 May 2005. Information on the population by ethnic group is, at present, only available for 28 February 2003.
	
		Population of prisoners aged over 60 years in prison establishments, by sex, type of custody(22) and establishment—England and Wales, 31 May 2005
		
			  Males Females 
			  Remand Immediate custodial sentence Remand Immediate custodial sentence 
		
		
			 Total 124 1,404 5 22 
			  
			 Acklington — 55 — — 
			 Albany — 77 — — 
			 Altcourse 1 12 — — 
			 Ashwell — 8 — — 
			 Bedford — 4 — — 
			 Belmarsh 8 7 — — 
			 Birmingham 7 11 — — 
			 Blakenhurst 4 10 — — 
			 Blantyre House — 3 — — 
			 Blundeston 1 2 — — 
			 Bristol 3 10 — — 
			 Brixton 7 9 — — 
			 Brockhill — — 1 — 
			 Bronzefield — — 1 3 
			 Bullingdon 6 18 — — 
			 Bullwood Hall — — — 1 
			 Camp Hill — 2 — — 
			 Canterbury — 1 — — 
			 Cardiff 3 7 — — 
			 Channings Wood — 37 — — 
			 Chelmsford 3 6 — — 
			 Coldingly — 5 — — 
			 Cookham Wood — — — 3 
			 Dartmoor — 22 — — 
			 Doncaster 1 10 — — 
			 Dorchester 1 2 — — 
			 Dovegate — 13 — — 
			 Downview — — — 3 
			 Durham — 5 — — 
			 Eastwood Park — — — 3 
			 Elmley 6 20 — — 
			 Erlestoke — 4 — — 
			 Exeter 5 10 — — 
			 Featherstone — 5 — — 
			 Ford — 11 — — 
			 Forest Bank 1 1 — — 
			 Foston Hall — — 1 2 
			 Frankland — 44 — — 
			 Full Sutton — 44 — — 
			 Garth — 11 — — 
			 Gartree — 13 — — 
			 Gloucester 2 — — — 
			 Grendon (Spring Hill) — 9 — — 
			 Guys Marsh — 2 — — 
			 Haverigg — 5 — — 
			 Hewell Grange — 2 — — 
			 Highdown 5 6 — — 
			 Highpoint South — 5 — — 
			 Hollesley Bay (Warren Hill) — 7 — — 
			 Holloway — — 2 1 
			 Holme House 1 7 — — 
			 Hull 3 43 — — 
			 Kingston (Portsmouth) — 21 — — 
			 Kirkham — 8 — — 
			 Kirklevington — 5 — — 
			 Latchmere House — 7 — — 
			 Leeds 2 9 — — 
			 Leicester 2 4 — — 
			 Lewes 3 16 — — 
			 Leyhill — 22 — — 
			 Lincoln 3 10 — — 
			 Lindholme — 2 — — 
			 Littlehey — 64 — — 
			 Liverpool 3 15 — — 
			 Long Lartin — 7 — — 
			 Lowdham Grange — 5 — — 
			 Maidstone — 26 — — 
			 Manchester 5 19 — — 
			 Moorland Open — 2 — — 
			 Mount — 9 — — 
			 New Hall — — — 1 
			 North Sea Camp — 9 — — 
			 Norwich 2 25 — — 
			 Nottingham 5 3 — — 
			 Onley — 1 — — 
			 Parc 1 14 — — 
			 Parkhurst — 24 — — 
			 Pentonville 6 4 — — 
			 Peterborough 1 2 — — 
			 Preston 3 — — — 
			 Ranby — 2 — — 
			 Risley — 38 — — 
			 Rye Hill — 23 — — 
			 Send — — — 2 
			 Shepton Mallet — 13 — — 
			 Shrewsbury 2 4 — — 
			 Stafford — 31 — — 
			 Standford Hill 1 15 — — 
			 Stocken — 3 — — 
			 Styal — — — 3 
			 Sudbury — 16 — — 
			 Swaleside — 21 — — 
			 Swansea 2 2 — — 
			 Usk (Prescoed) — 32 — — 
			 Verne — 10 — — 
			 Wakefield — 51 — — 
			 Wandsworth 6 45 — — 
			 Wayland — 22 — — 
			 Wealstun — 8 — — 
			 Weare — 3 — — 
			 Wellingborough — 4 — — 
			 Whatton — 48 — — 
			 Whitemoor — 8 — — 
			 Winchester 6 10 — — 
			 Wolds — 2 — — 
			 Woodhill 4 9 — — 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 4 10 — — 
			 Wymott — 53 — — 
		
	
	(22) Not including fine defaulters and non-criminals

Probation Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets were set for the Probation Service for 2004–05; and to what extent those targets were met by each probation area.

Fiona Mactaggart: Performance against targets set for the National Probation Service for 2004–05 can be found in the National Probation Service Performance Report 16 which was published on 17 May 2005.
	Copies of the report can be found at:
	http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page34.asp.

Probation Service

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the administration costs of the Hertfordshire Probation Area were in the last period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: The total expenditure for Hertfordshire Probation Area in 2003–04 is £7,808.000. Information relating solely to administration expenditure is not available.

Proceeds of Crime Act

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on assets recovered by H Division of South Wales Police under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Paul Goggins: Information is not available in the form requested. The total value of confiscation orders obtained by the South Wales Police under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation is as follows:
	
		
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 200203 146,936 
			 200304 581,462 
			 200405 80,332 
		
	
	In addition the total value of cash forfeiture orders obtained by South Wales Police in 200405 under the 2002 Act was 39,617. The total value of orders obtained by the South Wales Regional Asset Recovery Team in 200405 was 279,637.

Proceeds of Crime Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been seized in Southend as a consequence of prosecution under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Hazel Blears: Information is not available in the form requested. The total value of confiscation orders obtained by Essex police under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation is as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200203 105,270 
			 200304 560,734 
			 200405 120,270 
		
	
	In addition the total value of cash forfeiture orders obtained by Essex police under the 2002 Act in 200405 was 72,535. Information on the value of orders obtained by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in Essex is not available.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects video interviews of complainants will become admissible as their evidence in chief in rape trials.

Fiona Mactaggart: Video-recorded evidence in chief has been available since 24 July 2002 for all vulnerable witnesses, including children in the Crown court and for children in need of special protection in magistrates courts.
	Before extending the availability of this measure to intimidated witnesses, including complainants in rape cases, we wish to assess the extra demands that this would place on the relevant criminal justice agencies. As part of this process we are evaluating, in three pilot areas, the use of a summary as an alternative to providing a full verbatim transcript of the video-recorded interview. The independent evaluation report of the pilot is due to be delivered at the end of August and this will inform the development of implementation plans for extending the availability of video-recorded evidence in chief. We will also consult the criminal justice agencies concerned before determining an implementation date. The implementation plan will incorporate a suitable period of notice to enable these agencies to prepare.

Sentencing

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average sentences given to individuals convicted of offences involving abuse, ill treatment or neglect of a vulnerable adult in their responsibility was in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The criminal law contains a range of offences to protect all individuals from assaults and offences against the person. The following table shows the average sentences given in the last five years for ill treatment or wilfully neglecting a patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder; and for actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm with and without intent. For the offences of ABH and GBH it is not possible to distinguish between offences committed against a vulnerable adult and against other victims.
	In addition to these offences, further measures making it an offence to cause or allow the death of a vulnerable adult or child within the household were introduced in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004; and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 has introduced an offence of ill-treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity. No statistics on these offences are yet available.
	
		Average custodial sentence lengths, in months, for specified offences, 19992003England and Wales
		
			  1999 2000 
			 Offence Min Max Av Min Max Av 
		
		
			 Ill treatment of patients   
			 ABH 0.5 60 7.8 0.2 60 8 
			 GBH with intent 2 (23) 46 4 (23) 45 
			 GBH 0.2 60 16 0.9 60 16 
		
	
	
		
			  2001 2002 2003 
			 Offence Min Max Av Min Max Av Min Max Av 
		
		
			 Ill treatment of patients  
			 ABH 0.2 60 8.5 0.2 60 9.2 0.5 60 9.2 
			 GBH with intent 2 (23) 48 6 (23) 47 6 (23) 50 
			 GBH 0.2 60 16 1.4 60 17 0.9 60 18 
		
	
	(23) Life
	Notes:
	1. No offenders sentenced to custody
	2. RDS NOMS 1/7/05

Sentencing

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average sentences given to individuals convicted of offences involving abuse, ill treatment or neglect of a child in their responsibility was in each of the last five years was.

Fiona Mactaggart: The table shows the minimum, maximum and average custodial sentences for those convicted of cruelty to persons under 16 in the last five years.
	
		Custodial sentence lengths, in months, for cruelty to or neglect of children 19992003England and Wales
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Minimum 0.7 0.2 1 0.5 1.4 
			 Maximum 60 120 96 96 84 
			 Average 13.4 15.6 16.2 19.4 15.5 
		
	
	Note:
	RDS NOMS 1 July 2005

Target Shooting Ranges

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has responsibility for the issuing of licences for civilian target shooting ranges.

Hazel Blears: Civilian shooting ranges do not require a Home Office licence although clubs which wish to operate as an approved club under the terms of section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment)Act 1988 must have regular use of ranges with safety certificates for the category of firearms being used. There are currently no arrangements in place for those clubs seeking approval to have their ranges inspected and certified as safe. The Home Office is now working with the Ministry of Defence and shooting organisations to develop a scheme for future inspections.

Treatment/Rehabilitation of Offenders

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding the Department provided for each offender to complement the implementation of drug treatment and testing orders issued by the courts in the last year for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: 76 million was made available in 200405 to deliver 13,000 drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs), of which 10,323 (79 per cent.) were made by the courts. 88 million has been allocated in 200506 for the delivery of 16,000 DTTOs/drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) of the new community order, which will gradually replace DTTOs from April 2005.

Vandalism

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for acts of vandalism in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: There is no specific offence of vandalism. Most behaviour, which we understand as vandalism, would probably be covered by the offence of criminal damage, although the two might not always be exactly the same. The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of offenders found guilty of criminal damage is contained in the tables.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty of criminal damage at all courts, England and Wales 1997 to 2003(24)
		
			 Offence description Principal statute 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Other criminal damage Criminal damage (value of damage over 5,000) Criminal Damage Act 1971 Explosive Substances Act 1883 Ancient Monuments  Archaeological Area Act 1979 Post Office Act 1953 8,461 9,083 8,901 8,138 
			   
			 Criminal damage (value of damage 5,000 or less) and causing damage to an allotment through negligence or any unlawful act Criminal Damage Act 1971 Allotments Act 1922 24,747 26,505 27,888 27,976 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence description Principal statute 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Other criminal damage Criminal damage (value of damage over 5,000) Criminal Damage Act 1971 Explosive Substances Act 1883 Ancient Monuments  Archaeological Area Act 1979 Post Office Act 1953 8,478 8,744 8,867 
			  
			 Criminal damage (value of damage 5,000 or less) and causing damage to an allotment through negligence or any unlawful act Criminal Damage Act 1971 Allotments Act 1922 26,894 28,279 29,780 
		
	
	(24) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Volunteering

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much financial support his Department made available to organisations which use time banking as a means of encouraging and rewarding volunteering in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 30 June 2005
	In the last year, the Home Office has provided 175,371 to time banking organisations. This includes funding for Time Banks UK, the national umbrella organisation as well as individual time banks. The details of these organisations are as follows:
	
		
			   
			 Organisation Amount 
		
		
			 Time Banks UK 58,488 
			 Gloucester City Time Bank 47,341 
			 Fair share Regional Network in South West 27,542 
			 Gloucestershire Neighbourhood Projects Network 42,000 
			 Total 175,371 
		
	
	Time Banks UK and Gloucestershire Neighbourhood projects Network's funding will continue in 200506.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Testing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the circumstances in which animal testing is (a) mandatory and (b) optional under (i) UK and (ii) EU law.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 July 2005
	In order to provide the required human and environmental safety data on chemicals within the areas of Defra's competence in the UK, and in the EU, testing on animals is a mandatory requirement under the Existing Substances Regulations, the Notification of New Substances Regulations and Pesticide Authorisations. For veterinary medicines a certain amount of animal testing is required by Directive 2001/82/EC in order to demonstrate efficacy as well as human, animal and environmental safety.
	Provision of animal test data is not optional but if sufficient information were available on a chemical through its historical use, through human exposure data, or from alternative non-animal testing methods, then expert judgment would be used by Regulatory Authorities to avoid unnecessary further testing on animals. Regulatory Authorities are fully cognisant of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes and will not require unnecessary testing on animals. They welcome any proposals for non-animal testing that provide equivalent assurance of safety.

Bovine TB

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the pilot projects testing badger and cattle tuberculosis vaccines will report.

Ben Bradshaw: Research into a vaccine for badgers and cattle has now reached a stage where field trials are necessary.
	The field study for the badger vaccine is likely to commence in 2006 and run for three years. The cattle vaccine study is likely to commence in late 2005 and run for five years. Both studies will report after their respective completion dates.

Beef Imports

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she proposes to take in relation to the import of beef from the USA following the detection of BSE there.

Ben Bradshaw: No additional action is proposed. Imports of beef from third countries including the USA, are subject to European Community rules. Each consignment has to come from an approved slaughterhouse or cutting plant and it must be accompanied by animal and public health certification signed by an official veterinarian.
	The health certification has to confirm that the meat does not contain, and is not derived from, specified risk material (SRM). SRM are those parts of the animal that could potentially harbour BSE.
	On arrival in the EU, each consignment is subjected to documentary and identity checks to ensure that import conditions have been met. At least 20 per cent. of consignments are also subject to physical checks.
	In recent years the UK has imported little beef from the USA. This is because of unrelated EU controls, which ban meat from cattle that have been given growth-promoting hormones (routinely used in America). The UK food safety implications from this most recent finding are minimal.

Biofuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage the use of (a) meat and bone meal in electricity and heat generation, (b) tallow for biodiesel production and (c) digested slurry for electrical generation through methane recovery.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The use of meat and bone meal, tallow and slurry in energy generation is permitted under the animal by-products regulation and the Government are keen to encourage the use of these valuable energy sources.
	The renewables obligation requires licensed electricity suppliers to source at least part of their electricity from renewable generation. The use of meat and bone meal and the anaerobic digestion of slurry for the generation of electricity are eligible sources of renewable energy. Detailed guidance on the anaerobic digestion of slurry has been provided to industry. The Biomass Study Task Force, led by Sir Ben Gill, is looking at the barriers to developing biomass energy, including the use of slurry, and will recommend ways to overcome the problems. We will consider the way forward in the light of their recommendations. The Government are also looking at the scope for supporting renewable heat.
	We are liaising effectively with industry, the European Commission and other member states to ensure that the negotiations on an implementing measure for the animal by-products regulation will result in rules on the use of tallow for biodiesel which are proportionate, practical, and provide the industry with the maximum amount of flexibility. The production of biodiesel, including that produced from tallow, is supported by the 20 pence per litre reduction in duty compared to fossil fuels. The Government are carrying out a feasibility study on a renewable transport fuel obligation. If adopted, this would require a specified proportion of the total fuel supply to be from biofuels.

Carbon Emissions

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of domestic carbon emissions has been in each year since 1997; and what percentage of total emissions in each year these figures represent.

Elliot Morley: The following table shows UK carbon dioxide emissions from the domestic (residential) sector in million tonnes of carbon per year, and as a percentage of UK total carbon dioxide emissions for each year since 1997. These data include the domestic sector's share of emissions from energy supply and are from the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory published in 2005.
	
		
			  Residential Total CO(26) emissions Residential as a % of total emissions 
		
		
			 1997 37.7 153.9 24.5 
			 1998 39.3 154.5 25.4 
			 1999 38.3 151.7 25.2 
			 2000 39.5 152.8 25.9 
			 2001 41.7 157.4 26.5 
			 2002 40.6 152.7 26.6 
			 2003 41.2 156.1 26.4

Cattle Ear Tags

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for designating cattle ear tags as either primary or secondary.

Ben Bradshaw: EC Regulation 1760/2000 requires cattle to be identified with an ear tag in each ear. Commission Regulation (EC) NO 911/2004 specifies that at least one of these ear tags must be made of plastic and be a minimum size to allow it to be read from a distance. This tag is known as the primary ear tag. The second ear tag can be made from other materials, such as metal, and does not have to meet the minimum size requirements of the primary ear tag.

Farm Plastics

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the waste disposal of farm plastics; what support the Government give for the (a) recycling and (b) re-use of such plastics; and what recent discussions she has had with the Local Government Association concerning schemes to advance such recycling and re-use.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government issued a consultation paper on the Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 on 9 December 2004. Chapter 8 of this paper considered whether there should be a voluntary or statutory producer responsibility scheme for the collection and recovery of waste non-packaging farm plastics. Packaging plastics are already covered by the packaging regulations, but it is envisaged that any scheme would collect both packaging and non-packaging plastic waste. The consultation closed on 18 March 2005 and we are currently considering the responses to decide upon the best way forward.
	In order to help prepare for a producer responsibility scheme, I have allocated 1 million of Business Resource Energy and Waste (BREW) funds and my officials are currently discussing with the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum (AWSF) how this money should best be used.
	The Local Government Association sit on the AWSF, and have also met with officials on the subject of farm plastics.

Fishing Licences

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value of fines awarded by the courts for the offence of fishing without a licence in each region in England and Wales has been in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: Data provided by the Environment Agency are set out as follows.
	The data recorded are for fines and costs awarded by the court (not necessarily paid by the defendant).
	The data provided have been collated using the agency's dedicated databaseFisheries Offence Processing System (FOPS) which has been in use since the year 2000. The data for years prior to 2000 were provided by the various regional legal departments.
	
		
			  Concluded Successful Fine () Costs () 
		
		
			 North West 
			 199697 940 695 27,172 29,564 
			 199798 603 576 21,800 32,187 
			 199899 492 461 19,373 17,415 
			 19992000 375 354 16,612 15,645 
			 200001 447 434 23,159 21,332 
			 200102 393 388 20,653 20,025 
			 200203 191 186 20,025 10,250 
			 200304 224 218 15,437 15,125 
			 200405 606 587 37,375 37,276 
			  
			 Southern 
			 199697  340 13,596 13,870 
			 199798 272 268 12,600 5,620 
			 199899 386 342 17,754 15,295 
			 19992000 521 461 20,580 19,594 
			 200001 403 362 20,318 20,570 
			 200102 500 468 27,236 28,855 
			 200203 404 391 21,209 21,835 
			 200304 452 440 28,591 26,040 
			 200405 504 482 37,627 32,245 
			  
			 North East 
			 199697  469 16,705 22,795 
			 199798 525 492 19,880 23,282 
			 199899 529 512 21,494 19,758 
			 19992000 504 531 18,388 19,724 
			 200001 272 219 13,770 16,805 
			 200102 433 421 15,005 19,410 
			 200203 296 286 12,822 14,645 
			 200304 507 506 22,311 25,760 
			 200405 514 505 23,588 26,815 
			  
			 South West 
			 199697  284 15,207 14,757 
			 199798 242 200 8,000 14,835 
			 199899 203 203 11,789 11,225 
			 19992000 201 200 10,604 9,678 
			 200001 175 172 9,208 7,765 
			 200102 196 180 10,585 8,155 
			 200203 136 129 7,371 6,800 
			 200304 227 219 13,216 12,254 
			 200405 201 197 12,603 11,605 
			  
			 Anglian 
			 199697 777 589 23,328 20,276 
			 199798 603 508 21,755 18,706 
			 199899 519 452 20,477 15,300 
			 19992000 575 513 29,480 23,930 
			 200001 386 357 16,415 11,393 
			 200102 482 447 20,384 18,473 
			 200203 477 458 28,537 23,081 
			 200304 552 545 33,675 30,020 
			 200405 569 557 38,697 33,250 
			  
			 Midlands 
			 199697  1,024 40,842 38,249 
			 199798 1,400 1,350 43,000 16,508 
			 199899 473 437 25,069 13,272 
			 19992000 368 372 15,161 15,785 
			 200001 707 706 31,071 32,531 
			 200102 1,175 1,166 44,081 46,875 
			 200203 712 684 35,000 38,448 
			 200304 606 594 35,009 37,847 
			 200405 523 522 28,471 31,940 
			  
			 Thames 
			 199697  1,127 40,330 52,129 
			 199798 944 722 30,200 34,888 
			 199899 881 830 37,936 42,993 
			 19992000 884 883 42,517 41,978 
			 200001 761 757 51,042 44,405 
			 200102 953 908 48,267 46,318 
			 200203 700 656 35,903 31,197 
			 200304 747 724 44,288 41,504 
			 200405 838 811 51,640 47,891 
			  
			 Wales 
			 199697  140 10,745 12,559 
			 199798 178 159 8,520 12,970 
			 199899 232 211 19,317 11,765 
			 19992000 183 164 12,313 14,554 
			 200001 358 336 26,067 17,561 
			 200102 216 205 12,614 11,275 
			 200203 115 114 8,880 5,640 
			 200304 246 243 20,106 15,180 
			 200405 344 344 20,987 20,490 
			  
			 National 
			 199697  4,668 187,925 204,199 
			 199798 4,767 4,275 165,755 158,996 
			 199899 3,715 3,448 173,209 147,023 
			 19992000 3,611 3,478 165,655 160,888 
			 200001 3,509 3,343 191,050 172,362 
			 200102 4,348 4,183 198,825 199,384 
			 200203 3,031 2,904 162,205 151,896 
			 200304 3,561 3,489 212,633 203,730 
			 200405 4,099 4,005 250,988 241,512

Foot and Mouth

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farmers and (b) contractors have outstanding claims from the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently, there are 14 farmers and 15 contractors who claim moneys are outstanding from the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.
	Additionally, there are 10 personal injury claims relating to the outbreak, of which seven have been settled subject to agreement on costs. The Department is disputing valuation fees with 10 valuers engaged during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Nappies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many disposable nappies she estimates were (a) used and (b) disposed of by (i) landfill, (ii) incineration and (iii) other means in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: We do not collect information on the amount of disposable nappies used nor of the disposal route.
	The strategy unit report 'Waste not Want not' estimated that in 200001 nappies comprised around 2 per cent. of household waste, equivalent to 350,000 tonnes. In 200304 72 per cent. of our household waste was sent to landfill and just under 9 per cent. went to incineration.

Neasden Goods Depot

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the level of pollution from Neasden Goods Depot; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Neasden Goods Depot falls within an Air Quality Management Area declared by the London borough of Brent. Defra has provided supplementary credit approval to the London borough of Brent to help fund a detailed assessment of air pollution in the vicinity of the depot. This assessment has identified elevated levels of particulate matter (PM 1 0 ) in the vicinity of the goods depot. This appears to be caused mainly by waste management operations, regulated by the Environment Agency, located at the depot.
	The Environment Agency has been taking action to improve the standard of operations at Neasden Goods Depot, more recently in conjunction with the London borough of Brent.
	There are four sites at Neasden Goods Yard, three Waste Management Licences (WML) and one End of Life Vehicles (ELV) licence.
	To date the Environment Agency has:
	undertaken unannounced weekly inspections to all three sites holding a WML. During these, areas requiring attention to site infrastructure and operations are identified and improvements required;
	issued warning letters when necessary;
	served legal enforcement notices that have demanded specific actions be undertaken;
	served legal enforcement notices that have suspended operations when appropriate; and
	carried out comprehensive enforcement action against the site we believe to be the worst performing of the three that is contributing significantly to the pollution of the local environment.
	The above actions have resulted in a number of improvements being made:
	buildings are now constructed to contain the majority of waste handling operations at the three sites;
	large areas of concrete hard standing has been laid (where previously, significant areas of the goods yard were mud and hardcore) at all four sites as well as the communal haul road;
	improved drainage has been installed;
	dust suppression systems have been installed, used and maintained; and,
	daily road sweeping of service yard and section of public highway.
	The Environment Agency has recently commissioned independent environmental consultants to undertake a dust-monitoring programme. The monitoringplanned from July to September 2005will clarify the contribution that the licensed sites make to PM 1 0 levels in the locality. This dust survey compliments that which the local authority has already put in place.
	In addition the London borough of Brent has improved the pavement infrastructure on the highway near the goods depot and is regularly washing the road to reduce emissions of PM caused by road traffic.
	The Environment Agency continues its dialogue with all four operators, landlord and London borough of Brent. The result is a series of improvements have been delivered and further works is planned to tackle dust emissions.
	London borough of Brent is continuing to monitor air pollution levels in the vicinity of Neasden Goods Depot to assess the results of the emissions control measures. Monitoring data are published on the world wide web at www.londonair.org.uk.

Oil Leakages

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of protection to the environment against oil leakage and loss of content provided by regulations relating to oil powered transformers.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 apply to storage tanks associated with electricity transformers, but not to the smaller volume of oil in the transformer itself which is in use rather than storage. Large scale transformers operated as part of the national grid are normally protected by secondary containment in the form of a bund.

Pollution

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of pollution is required to trigger the issue of an official smog warning; when such a warning was last issued; and what assessment she has made of the effect of this pollution on the atmosphere.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra publishes forecasts of high air pollution when it estimates that concentrations of specific air pollutants are likely to exceed guideline values. Similarly to weather forecasts, there is an element of uncertainty and expert judgement attached to air pollution forecasts.
	Warnings use a health-based index system, which has been developed by the Department of Health's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP). A COMEAP statement on the guideline values is available at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/statementsreports/airpol9.htm.
	The thresholds for the guideline values are: nitrogen dioxide, 573 microgrammes per metre cubed, as an hourly average; sulphur dioxide, 532 microgrammes per metre cubed, as a 15 minute average; ozone, 180 microgrammes per metre cubed, as an hourly average and running eight hour average; particulate matter (PM 1 0 ), 75 microgrammes per metre cubed, as a 24 hour running average (measured byTEOM); and carbon monoxide, 17.4 microgrammes per metre cubed, measured as a running eight hour average.
	A summary of the index and the associated concentration levels and severity of health impacts is available at: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/standards.phptfband
	Defra warns of high air pollution through the air quality information archive at www.airquality.co.uk, Teletext, page 169 and the freephone service 0800 556677. On occasions when a notable air pollution episode is forecast, such as the first photochemical smog in any year, Defra may supplement these forecasts with a news release.
	Defra last published a warning of high air pollution on 22 June 2005. This was for high levels of ozone (180239 microgrammes per metre cubed) forecast in areas of eastern, southern England, the east Midlands and the south east.
	It is accepted that both short term and long term exposure to air pollutants damages health. COMEAP (the Department of Health's expert advisory Committee of the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants) has published two reports estimating the impact of air pollutants on health in the UK. These are available at:
	http://www.advisorvbodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/statementsreports/airpol7.htm; and http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/statementsreports/longtermeffects.pdf

Railway Line (Gerrards Cross)

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the likely environmental impact of the removal of the fill material blocking the railway line at Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Environment Agency and local government planning and environmental health officers have liaised over the emergency removal of the construction materials in question and their temporary storage on agricultural land nearby.
	Two principle issues have been identified:
	It is recognised that there will be a period of inconvenience to local residents due to increased vehicle movements. There is the potential for dust generation, however this can be satisfactorily controlled by suppression methods.
	The construction materials in question have previously been analysed and assessed as low risk. It is the view of the Environment Agency that no further analysis of the material is required prior to its removal and storage as the incident will not have altered its nature.

Red Tractor Logo

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the use of the red tractor logo and food products carrying the logo.

Jim Knight: The red tractor logo is owned by the National Farmers Union and is administered by Assured Food Standards, a private company that was set up for this purpose. Assured Food Standards licenses the logo's use on food that has been produced in accordance with standards laid down in qualifying assurance schemes.

River Itchen (Toxic Waste)

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the effect on fish stocks of the recent release of toxic matter into the River Itchen; and whether those responsible have been identified.

Ben Bradshaw: A fish kill was reported on the lower Itchen at Gaiters Mill on Friday 24 June 2005. The Environment Agency are investigating possible causes. It has not been possible to establish the cause of the fish kill at this time. There is not currently any evidence of a toxic discharge.
	The investigation is continuing.

Rural Payments Agency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members of staff have been employed by the Rural Payments Agency in each month since its inception.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The number of staff members employed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in each month since its inception are given in the following table. These figures relate to financial years.
	
		Staff numbers
		
			  200102 200203 200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 April  3,234 3,429 3,768 3,545 
			 May  3,286 3,342 3,706 3,475 
			 June  3,359 3,355 3,703 3,403 
			 July  3,333 3,405 3,753  
			 August  3,391 3,388 3,795  
			 September  3,421 (26)3,889 3,775  
			 October (25)3,161 3,413 3,831 3,724  
			 November  3,486 3,791 3,708  
			 December  3,445 3,799 3,699  
			 January  3,431 3,785 3,670  
			 February  3,459 3,800 3,630  
			 March  3,459 3,790 3,606  
		
	
	(25) RPA was established on 16 October 2001. Figures are not available on a monthly basis until the 200203 financial year. The figure quoted is the monthly average between 16 October 2001 and 31 March 2002.
	(26) Approximately 500 staff joined RPA following the merger with British Cattle Movement Service.

Tallow

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the application of the Waste Incineration Directive to tallow; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The effect of Article 12 of the EU Animal By-Products Regulation is to require tallow derived from waste animal by-products to be incinerated or co-incinerated in accordance with the Waste Incineration Directive (WID). The Department has received representations about the burning of waste tallow as fuel (co-incineration) in WID-compliant plant from the United Kingdom Renderers' Association (UKRA). The right hon. John Gummer MP wrote, as Chairman of Bancroft International Limited, in support of UKRA's representations; and representations on the implications of the issue have been received from the National Fallen Stock Company. I understand that the burning of tallow as fuel is also among the issues being considered by the Biomass Task Force.
	A statement of the Department's views on the issues raised by UKRA is available on the Department's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc/index.htm.

Tenant Farming

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's latest assessment is of the economic future of tenant farming in England.

Jim Knight: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The most recent forecasts of farm incomes are for the UK as a whole and were published by Defra on 27 January 2005. These included an estimate of aggregate income for 2004 and forecasts of incomes by farm type for 200405 (i.e. 2004 harvest). A copy of the publication can be found on the Defra website at http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/statnot/account.pdf
	The next publication of income forecasts is likely to be in the autumn, with the first estimate of aggregate income for 2005. Income forecasts for different farm types for 200506 (i.e. 2005 harvest) will be published at the end of January 2006.
	We do not produce separate economic assessments for tenanted farms.
	As part of our strategy for a sustainable food and farming sector, the Government are committed to maintaining a healthy and viable tenanted sector. The legislative changes that we are making as a result of the recommendations of the Tenancy Reform Industry Group will provide better opportunities for tenant farmers in England to develop the business potential of their farms and should help, in the longer term, to improve the economic value of the sector.

Veterinary Surgeons

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that veterinary surgeons employed by the state veterinary services in quarantine facilities are fully cognisant of the diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases, with particular reference to heartworm.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 July 2005
	Authorised quarantine facilities are required, as part of their authorisation, to engage the services of a veterinary surgeon. The appointment of a quarantine veterinary surgeon (QVS) is approved by Defra, based on an assessment and recommendation of a local Veterinary Officer of the SVS. Assessment is focused on rabies diagnosis, welfare and security of the kennels rather than other diseases.
	It is the responsibility of all veterinary surgeons to ensure that their own continuing professional development encompasses all they might encounter in day-to-day work. For QVSs who attend the quarantine premises six days each week, this would include tropical diseases.
	Defra promotes awareness of any exotic disease through their passive surveillance programme DACTARI. This enables veterinary surgeons to report all travel-associated disease to the Department. The distribution of all reported disease is posted on the internet at http://defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/dactari.htm.

Waste Disposal

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Germany, (b) France, (c) the Netherlands, (d) Denmark, (e) Italy and (f) Belgium on their definitions of (i) biodegradable waste, (ii) municipal waste, (iii) commercial waste, (iv) hazardous waste, (v) industrial waste, (vi) recycling, (vii) recovery, (viii) composting and (ix) waste minimisation.

Ben Bradshaw: As confirmed in my reply of 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 433W to the hon. Member, commercial waste and industrial waste are national terms; and waste minimisation is not defined in either Community or national legislation. There have been no direct discussions, therefore, about these terms with the other member states referred to.
	The other terms referred to are either defined or used without being defined in Community legislation. The UK has participated in discussions with other member states on these terms in the context of the negotiations on the directives which contain the terms. Such meetings take place under the auspices of the presidency of the Council. The UK has also participated in meetings of the Technical Adaptation Committee chaired by the European Commission and established under article 18 of the waste framework directive, article 9 of the hazardous waste directive, article 21 of the packaging and packaging waste directive, article 17 of the landfill directive, article 11 of the end of life vehicles directive and article 14 of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Advertising

David Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Office spent on advertising in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002 the advertising spends since then has been as follows:
	
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 TV 2,829,248 2,879,286 3,216,961 
			 Radio 303,581 90,508 407,795 
			 Press 214,114 709,205 372,924 
			 Other 0 808,011 1,041,190 
			 Total 3,346,943 4,487,010 5,038,870 
		
	
	The majority of this spend has been on the Fire Safety publicity campaign.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the 10 local authorities with the (a) lowest and (b) highest council tax collection rates in England in 200405.

Phil Woolas: The 10 local authorities with the (a) lowest and (b) highest in year council tax collection rates in England in 200405 are listed in the following table.
	
		
			 Highest collection rate Percentage 
		
		
			 Surrey Heath 99.5 
			 Vale of White Horse 99.5 
			 Hambleton 99.3 
			 Chiltern 99.2 
			 North Hertfordshire 99.2 
			 Tewkesbury 99.2 
			 East Dorset 99.2 
			 Eden 99.2 
			 Rother 99.1 
			 South Hams 99.1 
			   
			 Lowest collection rate  
			 Hackney 84.4 
			 Manchester 90.3 
			 Salford 90.6 
			 Islington 90.6 
			 Newham 91.0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 91.3 
			 Waltham Forest 91.4 
			 Portsmouth UA 91.4 
			 Middlesbrough UA 91.9 
			 Nottingham City UA 92.0 
		
	
	The data for Arun district council, Hart district council and Macclesfield borough council were excluded from this analysis as they failed to submit a signed return.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of caravans which have obtained (a) class C and (b) class G council tax exemptions.

Phil Woolas: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Decent Homes Standard

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities with arm's length management organisations have failed to achieve two-stars in their performance inspection; and how much money allocated to achieve the Decent Homes Standard is being withheld in each case.

Yvette Cooper: Two arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) currently on the ALMO programme have failed to achieve the two star inspection rating necessary to qualify for additional Government funding. These are in Gateshead and Easington, which have conditional funding allocations of 63 million and 23.6 million respectively for 200406. Both ALMOs are currently working towards re-inspection. Their funding allocations will be released as soon as the ALMOs achieve the qualifying standard.

Departmental IT Projects

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list IT projects the Department is responsible for which have received a second consecutive red review and a letter from the chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no IT projects that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for which have received a second consecutive red review.

Departmental Telephone Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's policy is on the private use of (a) official telephones and (b) the internet; and how such use is monitored.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Staff in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are allowed to make occasional and reasonable private use of official telephones and the internet. Internet and telephone usage are monitored to prevent abuse and/or breaches of usage policy; this is managed through the periodic analysis of usage logs.

English Partnerships

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what English Partnerships funding has been allocated to Lancaster city council since 1997; and for which projects the funding has been allocated.

Yvette Cooper: Grant payment to Lancaster city council from 1 April 1997 has been 235,833.
	There were a number of projects under the Partnership Investment Programme and Land Reclamation Programme/Derelict Land Grant with spend between 1997 and 2000 which would have been passed to North West Development Agency to continue projects, all being grants to Lancaster city council:
	
		Grants to Lancaster city council
		
			  Project Year Cost () 
		
		
			 PIP Luneside Regeneration Strategy 19992000 105,000 
			 
			 DLG Morecambe Central Promenade 199899 (27)49,632 
			 
			 DLG Middleton Wood 199899 55,480 
			   199798 23,121 
			 
			 LRP Trowbarrow Quarry 199899 2,281 
			 
			 LRP West End Park 199899 319 
		
	
	(27) The end of a 4.4 million scheme approved in 1992 by DoE.
	In addition to these grant payments further funding has been providing since 2003. 4.9 million capital investment was allocated to Luneside east in Lancaster by English Partnerships of which 510,000 has been spent to date, and 2.9 million capital investment since 2003 has been allocated to Morecambe West End, of which 2.515 million has been spent.

English Partnerships

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions have taken place between Lancaster city council and English Partnerships regarding funding for projects since March.

Yvette Cooper: As well as the day-to-day contacts regarding progress on the Luneside East Development, discussions are also currently ongoing between English Partnerships and Lancaster city council regarding an English Partnerships funding contribution towards the cost of a potential housing scheme in the West End of Morecambe.

English Partnerships

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on funding from English Partnerships for the West End Masterplan in Morecambe.

Yvette Cooper: English Partnerships has fully funded the costs of the masterplanning exercise as well as funding a number of acquisitions by the local authority within the West End of Morecambe. Spending to date has been 2.515 million out of an approved initial allocation of 2.9 million. English Partnerships has identified within its current regional business plan a further allocation of 3.6 million, which could be extended to 4.1 million by 200809, subject to approvals.
	In total, English Partnerships plan to invest up to 7 million in the West End of Morecambe in support of the masterplan.
	Discussions are ongoing with the various other partners (including the North West Development Agency, Lancaster city council, the local Registered Social LandlordAdactus Housing Group and the Housing Corporation) regarding potential contributions to deliver the initial projects identified in the masterplan.

E-projects (Funding)

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) start-up and (b) annual running costs are of the Environment and Community Online Residents E-Services Communities Content Management System (CMS); how the scheme applies to (i) parish councils and (ii) the Neighbourhood Web Community CMS project in Wiltshire and Swindon; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows.
	(a) The start-up cost of Environment and Community Online Resident E-Services (ENCORE) National e-Government project was of 3.5 million allocated from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Local e-Government National Project programme strand.
	(b) The ENCORE Content Management System is Open Source software and is free of charge to LA's to install and run. Annual running costs will therefore be determined locally depending on hardware, internet connectively and staffing costs.
	Parish councils
	(i) The ENCORE Content Management System was built specifically for community groups. However, through the Local Directgov (the Home and Community franchise of Directgov) programme, the ODPM will be developing this system so that Parish councils can be equally e-enabled.
	Neighbourhood Web Community CMS project in Wiltshire and Swindon
	(ii) The Neighbourhood Web Community CMS project in Wiltshire and Swindonthe South Wiltshire Community Web, was originally funded through the ODPM Local e-Government Pathfinder programme stream. As part of the wider consultation with the local authority portal and website community the Directgov programme has initiated discussion with the South Wiltshire Community Web to reduce the risk of duplication, share experience and knowledge and also share the benefits of latest developments in the field.

Fire Control Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will establish an independent assessment of the final business case for regional emergency fire control centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As with all Government projects the FiReControl project is subject to independent Gateway reviews by the Office of Government Commerce, which include a review of the business case at its different stages. The Gateway reviews are undertaken at critical stages in the project and provide assurance that they are on track to succeed.

Fire Control Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for the implementation of the fire control project; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 393W.

Fire Extinguishers

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list fire extinguishing equipment used by the Fire Service that contains hydrofluorocarbons.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Stations (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list fire stations which have (a) opened and (b) closed in Essex since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: At 31 March 2005 there were a total of 51 fire stations in Essex. This has remained the same since 31 March 1998 (i.e. covering 199798 financial year). However, there have been some name and location changes as follows:
	Tilbury Fire Station changed its name to Orsett Fire Station and was officially opened 14 August 1997.
	Maldon Fire Station closed, but moved to a new site and was opened 1 September 1997.
	Source:
	Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

Flood Risks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions his Office has had with the Environment Agency on flood risk assessments of the Kettering area as part of his Office's Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth proposals.

Yvette Cooper: Officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have held discussions with the Environment Agency throughout the development of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub regional strategy (MKSM). Kettering and Wellingborough borough councils have completed a joint strategic flood risk assessment (SFRA) for their administrative areas. This is currently being considered by the Environment Agency. Once approved, the assessment will be made available for information and general use.

Floodplains

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on development building on floodplains; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 June 2005, Official Report, columns 55758W.

House Fires

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people died in house fires in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows:
	(a) Information on the number of deaths in house fires attended by Lancashire fire and rescue service is shown in the following table.
	
		Fire-related deaths in dwellings in Lancashire, 200204
		
			  Deaths 
		
		
			 2002 24 
			 2003 13 
			 2004 (provisional) 16 
		
	
	Source:
	Fire and Rescue Service FDRl returns to ODPM.
	(b) Information for Chorley is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

House Fires

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times the fire brigade was called out to house fires in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows:
	(a) Information on the number of house fires attended by Lancashire fire and rescue service is shown in the following table.
	
		House fires attended by Lancashire FRS, 200204
		
			  Number of fires 
		
		
			 2002 2,096 
			 2003 2,169 
			 2004 (provisional) 2,077 
		
	
	Note:
	Data includes estimates for incidents not recorded during periods of national industrial action in 2002 and 2003.
	Source:
	Fire and Rescue Service FDR1 returns to ODPM.
	(b) Information for Chorley is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many key workers in West Sussex have benefited from the Starter Home Initiative, broken down by district council area.

Yvette Cooper: 248 key workers in West Sussex were helped to purchase homes under the Starter Home Initiative. The following table breaks down the figure by district council and by key worker group.
	
		Number of key workers assisted
		
			 Local authority Nurses/health workers Teachers Police Others 
		
		
			 Adur 8 7 1 0 
			 Arun 5 10 2 2 
			 Chichester 55 5 5 4 
			 Crawley 17 10 6 1 
			 Horsham 9 14 1 2 
			 Mid Sussex 25 12 6 1 
			 Worthing 18 12 9 1 
			 Total 137 70 30 11 
		
	
	Note:
	Other key workers helped under the Starter Home Initiative included social workers, fire fighters, occupational therapists, prison and probation service staff.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will give high performing councils the freedom and flexibility to run their own housing services.

Yvette Cooper: All local housing authorities already have considerable freedom and flexibility to ran their own housing services.

Housing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will (a) provide financial support and (b) make land owned by his Department available for social housing in Chorley.

Yvette Cooper: The Regional Housing Board is responsible for making recommendations to Ministers about the use of the single housing pot within the North West. As these recommendations are currently with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister I am unable to comment further at this time. An announcement on allocations is expected shortly.
	The Office of Deputy Prime Minister does not have any surplus land in Chorley.

Housing

Owen Paterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new houses have been built in Ellesmere in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister only collects house building data at local authority level so there are no figures available for the town of Ellesmere. The annual numbers of new build completions reported for North Shropshire local authority since 200001 are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200001 246 
			 200102 233 
			 200203 192 
			 200304 141 
			 200405 296 
		
	
	Source:
	Returns (P2/NHBC) to ODPM on building control completions

Housing Development (Flood Risk)

Mark Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister further to his answer of 23 June 2005, Official Report, column 1137W, on housing development (flood risk), when he expects to publish revised planning guidance on development and flood risk to which he refers.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to issue a draft of a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25 for consultation later this year.

Micro-bikes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have made byelaws (a) prohibiting the use of micro-bikes in particular areas and (b) granting the power to seize vehicles causing noise nuisance.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding the North West Development Agency has provided for the West End Masterplan in Morecambe; and how much funding will be provided during 200508.

Yvette Cooper: The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has made available 60,000 for a feasibility study into the establishment of an arts/creative industry campus in the West End by St. Martin's College. NWDA will also consider investing up to 3 million from 200607 onwards in projects that will encourage the growth and establishment of businesses in the area. This is subject to satisfactory progress implementing the masterplan, the completion of NWDA's appraisal and approval processes and the availability of resources.

Population Growth

Owen Paterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the projected growth of the population in (a) Oswestry borough and (b) North Shropshire district is for the next 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: The population projections from 2005 to 2015 are (a) Oswestry borough 40,600 (an increase of 2,100), and (b) North Shropshire district 63,600 (an increase of 4,300). The projections are based on Office for National Statistics mid-year estimates 2003.

Right-to-buy Scheme

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many housing association tenants in (a) the county of Bedfordshire and (b) the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire are eligible for (i) the right-to-buy, (ii) the preserved right-to-buy, (iii) the right-to-acquire and (iv) voluntary purchase grants.

Yvette Cooper: No information is held centrally on the number of housing association tenants who have a right-to-buy in Bedfordshire or in the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire.
	Around 13,500 housing association tenants who have transferred with their homes from local authorities to housing associations in Bedfordshire have a preserved right-to-buy.
	A further 1,332 housing association tenants in Bedfordshire may qualify for the right-to-acquire because the homes were provided with public funds since 1 April 1997. Some of the tenants whose properties have transferred from local authorities after the same date may also qualify for the right-to-acquire.
	It is not possible to say how many housing association tenants in Bedfordshire are eligible for voluntary purchase grants. This scheme is offered at the discretion of housing associations, which bid to the Housing Corporation for funds to cover the discount offered to the tenant. Eligibility therefore depends on whether housing associations choose to participate in the scheme, which properties are included, and the availability of funding.

Social Landlords

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities whose council homes were transferred to a registered social landlord and which have since been the subject of a further change in landlords; what the name of the (a) initial and (b) subsequent registered social landlords was in each case; and how many homes were affected in each case.

Yvette Cooper: On 18 May 2005 my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, the First Secretary of State gave his consent under section 133 of the Housing Act 1988, after consulting the Housing Corporation, to the transfer of 2,553 dwellings from Hart Housing Association Ltd. to Oakfern Housing Association Ltd., both of which are members of Sentinel Housing Group Ltd. Residents of Hart Housing Association Ltd. and Oakfern Housing Association Ltd. were consulted about the proposals prior to consent being given.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received no other request by a registered social landlord to transfer the ownership of its housing stock to another registered social landlord.

Special Constables

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities which offer a reduction in council tax for special constables.

Phil Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold this information centrally and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost

UK Accreditation Service

Neil Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which certificates produced by the British Board of Agrement are audited and accredited by the UK Accreditation Service.

Yvette Cooper: A number of documents produced by the British Board of Agrement (BBA) solely as a result of testing against technical specifications are audited and accredited by the UK Accreditation Service.
	Details of these are not held in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister but are available from BBA.

UK Accreditation Service

Neil Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what processes the UK Accreditation Service uses to accredit (a) BRE Certification, (b) BM TRADA and (c) the British Board of Agreement.

Yvette Cooper: UKAS assesses and accredits these organisations against the criteria in the following internationally recognised standards:
	(a) BRE CertificationEN 45011 and EN 45012;
	(b) BM TRADAEN 45011, EN 45012, ISO Guide 66, ISO 17024;
	(c) British Board of AgreementEN 45011 and EN 45012;
	The UK Accreditation Service publishes the full scope of accreditation against each of these standards on its website;
	(http://www.ukasxom/about_accreditation/accredited_ bodies/certification_body_schedules.asp).

HEALTH

Electronic Data

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all NHS patients will be able to opt out of having their data held electronically under Connecting for Health.

Liam Byrne: Doctors have a professional duty to keep accurate records and patients do not have the right to choose whether or how this is done. However, patients not wishing to have their data held electronically within the new NHS Care Records Service will have that choice.

Patients' Needs (Lichfield)

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit Lichfield to meet stakeholders to discuss the future needs of patients using the hospital under construction in the city.

Rosie Winterton: Either I, or one of my ministerial colleagues, would be delighted to visit the new hospital in Lichfield at an appropriate time.
	The future needs of patients using the new hospital are a matter for Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth primary care trust and other local stakeholders.

Dentistry

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants are available to help NHS dentists set up surgeries in residential areas.

Rosie Winterton: No specific grants have been made available to help national health service dentists set up surgeries in residential areas, but the 50 million made available in 200405 to boost local NHS capacity could be used in residential areas.
	Primary care trusts may use their own budget to support the development of dental access in residential areas.

Dentistry

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the trends in NHS dentistry registration rates have been since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Some 24.3 million patients in England were registered with a national health service dentist in May 2005, compared with 26.4 million in 1997.
	However, courses of dental treatment have increased by 6 per cent. from 31.3 million in 199798 to 33 million in 200405. This is a result of both the establishment of 53 dental access centres and the availability of dental access sessions offering NHS dentistry to patients who are not registered.

Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the percentage of dental practices that are registering (a) children and (b) all adults in the (i) Eastleigh and Test Valley South, (ii) Southampton and (iii) Mid Hants primary care trust areas.

Rosie Winterton: Information about dental practices registering patients is not centrally collected. However, information can be obtained from local primary care trusts or NHS Direct.

Junior Doctors (Working Time Directive)

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the effects of the European working time directive on continuity of patient care and junior doctor training in the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: Junior doctors' working patterns should strike a sensible balance between services designed around patients and services which support doctors working lives and their training. The modernising medical careers initiative will assist implementation of the working time directive and help make the best use of training opportunities for junior doctors.

Myeloma

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the treatment of myeloma.

Rosie Winterton: In 2003, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published Improving Outcomes in Haematological Cancers. This guidance makes recommendations on treatment services for patients with haematological cancers, including myeloma. NICE recently updated the general practitioner referral guidelines which are designed to help GPs detect early signs of cancer, including myeloma.

Cervical Smear Tests

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that women receive the results of cervical smear tests within a reasonable time.

Rosie Winterton: We are committed to reducing waiting times for the results of cervical screening tests. We have consulted experts on how best to achieve this, and have commissioned a formal options appraisal from the university of Sheffield. This is due to report in December.

Primary Care Trusts

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to change the role and structure of primary care trusts.

Jane Kennedy: As we implement the next stage of the national health service reforms, including practice based commissioning and streamlining NHS management, primary care trusts will need to change and develop. These changes need to reflect local circumstances and form part of a structured programme for the NHS as a whole.

Primary Care Trusts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the responsibilities are of primary care trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The responsibilities of primary care trusts (PCTs) are:
	To assess the health needs of their population and to commission primary care and hospital based services to meet those needs;
	To ensure the provision of primary and community services; and
	To improve the health of their local population, reducing health inequalities.
	As we implement the next stage of the national health service reforms, including practice based commissioning and streamlining NHS management, PCTs will need to change and develop.

Primary Care Trusts

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2005, Official Report, column 1766W, on primary care trusts, what the average per capita funding for all primary care trusts in England was in 200405; and what the average per capita funding budgeted for 200506 is.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The average per capita funding for all primary care trusts in England in 200405 was 1,003. The average per capita funding allocated for 200506 is 1,097.

Digital Hearing Aids

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her latest assessment is of the availability of NHS digital hearing aids.

Liam Byrne: Since the end of March 2005, all 164 NHS hearing aid services in England are routinely providing people with digital hearing aids.

Coronary Bypass Grafts

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on waiting times for coronary bypass grafts.

Rosie Winterton: Excellent progress has been made to reduce waiting times for heart surgery patients. Until recently, patients were waiting up to two years for a coronary bypass graft operation but now no one waits longer than three months for heart surgery.

Alzheimer's/Dementia

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that appropriate and affordable medicines are available to people with (a) Alzheimer's and (b) dementia.

Liam Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 630W.

Hepatitis C (Prison Inmates)

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of prison inmates infected with hepatitis C; and how many inmates are infected in each prison in England.

Rosie Winterton: Information about the number of prisoners with hepatitis C is not collected centrally. The then Public Health Laboratory Service undertook an unlinked, anonymised survey of the prevalence of blood borne viruses amongst prisoners in England in 199798. This indicated that nine per cent., of adult men, 11 per cent., of women and 0.6 per cent., of male young offenders had evidence of previous exposure to hepatitis C.

GP Practices

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices there are in Kettering constituency; and what the average number of patients registered with a practice in Kettering is.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not held in the format requested. The following table shows the average list size of general medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars), 1 and GP practices for Northhamptonshire Heartlands primary care trust.
	
		
			  Numbers (headcount) 
		
		
			 All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(28) 145 
			 Patients 287,476 
			 Average list size 1,983 
			 GP practices 35 
		
	
	(28) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, GMS others, and PMS others
	Source:
	NHS health and social care information centre general and personal medical services statistics.

GP Practices

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of people in each NHS region who are not registered with a GP; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy the number of people who are not registered with a general practice.

GP Practices

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has collated on how many general practitioners plan to retire in each year until 2010.

Liam Byrne: The information is not collected centrally.

GP Practices

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent NHS general practitioners have been employed in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The number of full-time equivalent national health service general practitioners that have been employed in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency in each year since 1997 are shown in the tables.
	
		General Medical Practitioners (excluding registrars and retainers)(29) for specified organisations, 1997 to December 2004
		
			 Estimated full-time equivalents 
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 QA6 Bedfordshire HA 285 286 287 289  
			 5GD Bedford PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 73 
			 5GE Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 123 
		
	
	
		Estimated full-time equivalents
		
			   2002 2003 2004 December 2004 
		
		
			 QA6 Bedfordshire HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 5GD Bedford PCT 75 82 91 94 
			 5GE Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT 121 129 136 136 
		
	
	n/a = Data not applicable.
	(29) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes Contracted GPs, QMS Others and PMS Others.
	Notes:
	1. PCTs did not come into existence until 1 April 2000, prior to this data was only available at health authority level which does not compare with present day organisational structure.
	2. FTE data has been estimated using the results from the 199293 GMP Workload Survey.
	3. For 1994 to 2003Contracted GPsFull-time = 1.00 fte; three quarter time = 0.69 fte; job share = 0.65 fte; and half time = 0.60 fte; Other GP types Full-time = 1.00 fte; Part-time = 0.6 fte
	4. For 2004All GPsFull-Time 1.0 fte; Part-time= 0.6 fte, and therefore may not be fully comparable with previous years.
	5. Data as at 1 October 199799, 30 September 200004 and 31 December 2004.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Agency Nurses

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the health service spent on hiring agency nursing staff (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS trust, in (i) 199596, (ii) 199697, (iii) 199798, (iv) 199899, (v) 19992000, (vi) 200001, (vii) 200102, (viii) 200203 and (ix) 200304; what the figures were at the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The table shows the total non-national health service salaries and wages expenditure for nursing, midwifery and health visiting for the years 199596 to 200304. Information on expenditure in each NHS trust in England in each year from 199596 to 200001 and 200102 to 200304 is available in the Library. Total NHS spend increased from 32 billion in 199596 to 63 billion in 200304.
	
		Non-NHS staff (agency, etc) (by NHS classification) salaries and wages expenditureEngland
		
			  Nursing, midwifery and health visiting expenditure () 
		
		
			 199596 166,631,982 
			 199697 191,496,635 
			 199798 216,338,567 
			 199899 272,225,162 
			 19992000 361,656,683 
			 200001 435,431,882 
			 200102 554,323,821 
			 200203 589,738,042 
			 200304 524,675,129 
		
	
	Sources:
	Annual financial returns of NHS trusts, 199596 to 200304.
	Annual financial returns of district and regional health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 199596.
	Annual financial returns of health authorities 199697 to 200102.
	Annual financial returns of strategic health authorities 20023 to 200304.
	Annual financial returns of primary care trusts 200001 to 200304.

Ambulance Service Review

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date (a) Ministers and (b) officials first received the completed review of ambulance services undertaken by Mr. Peter Bradley.

Liam Byrne: An incomplete version of the review of ambulance services was submitted to ministers on 27 May 2005. The review group continued to finalise the report until close to its publication on 30 June 2005.
	Departmental officials worked closely with the review group throughout the period of the ambulance review.

Bowel Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of specialist nurses involved in the care of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Liam Byrne: Information is not collected centrally on the number of nurses specialising in inflammatory bowel disease. Between September 2003 and 2004, the number of qualified nurses employed in the national health service has increased by 78,660, and training places for nurses have increased by 67 per cent. since 199697, increasing the pool of nurses from which specialist nurses can be drawn.
	It is for local NHS organisations to determine the specific work force needed to best suit the local area.

Care Assistants

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her estimate is of the average hourly wage of a care assistant in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	Under Agenda for Change, the basic pay that staff receives will reflect the knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort required for their job, rather than their historic job title or occupational group. However, based on experience so far, most care assistants are assimilating at band two or three, depending on the nature of the job.
	
		
		
			 Pay Band Annual Hourly 
		
		
			 Band minimum(30) (200506)   
			 2 11,879 6.08 
			 3 13,694 7.00 
			
			 Band maximum (200506)   
			 2 13,694 7.00 
			 3 16,389 8.37 
		
	
	(30) Excludes special transitional points which apply only during assimilation to the new system.

Community Equipment Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has been charged for the lease of equipment loaned on a short-term basis to patients for use in their own homes in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 4 July 2005
	The national health service purchases the majority of its equipment to be used in peoples homes which is generally of a low individual value and arranges for its recycling where possible. This is in line with the Audit Commission's report, Fully Equipped.
	Although some major items may be acquired on a lease basis the Department does not collect centrally information on of how much the NHS has been charged.

Emergency Response Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the cost to the NHS of inappropriate 999 calls in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: This information is not collected centrally.

End-of-life Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1356W, on end-of-life care, how much has been allocated to each strategic health authority.

Rosie Winterton: The individual allocations for the end-of-life care programme for the year 200506 to each strategic health authority (SHA) are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority Allocation () 
		
		
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 149,000 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 109,000 
			 Essex 113,000 
			 North West London 142,000 
			 North Central London 102,000 
			 North East London 138,000 
			 South East London 123,000 
			 South West London 91,000 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 115,000 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 94,000 
			 North and East Yorks and Northern Lincs 113,000 
			 West Yorkshire 159,000 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 148,000 
			 Greater Manchester 209,000 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 195,000 
			 Thames Valley 135,000 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 120,000 
			 Kent and Medway 113,000 
			 Surrey and Sussex 177,000 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 146,000 
			 South West Peninsula 114,000 
			 Dorset and Somerset 85,000 
			 South Yorkshire 103,000 
			 Trent 190,000 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 101,000 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 104,000 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 187,000 
			 West Midlands South 106,000 
		
	
	Allocations to the lead primary care trust within each SHA will be made during July 2005.

Ethical Recruitment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that the NHS abides by its code of practice on ethical recruitment.

Liam Byrne: NHS Employers has taken over the monitoring of national health service compliance to the code of practice. It will continue to monitor compliance through data supplied on a regular basis by the international recruitment co-ordinators based in each strategic health authority.

Financial Deficits (Trusts)

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital trusts and (b) primary care trusts in Hertfordshire have financial deficits; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The latest year for which audited financial information is available for national health service organisations is 200304. In 200304 there was one NHS trust and one primary care trust in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority in deficit.
	Audited information for 200405 will be available in the audited accounts in the autumn.

Health Care Expenditure

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health spending per head was in each region of England in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	Information on expenditure per head by region is available in table 3.10b of the Department's departmental report 2005 (Cm 6524) presented to Parliament on 21 June 2005.

Health Outside Hospitals

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether community hospital services will form part of the regional public consultations on the health outside hospitals White Paper;
	(2)  whether one of the regional public consultations on the health outside hospitals White Paper will be based on Oxfordshire;
	(3)  whether primary care trust public consultations on local health services will form part of the health outside hospitals White Paper.

Liam Byrne: We have not yet finalised the scope of the listening exercise for the health and care outside hospitals White Paper, but it will be wide-ranging in considering the needs of people who use services, people who deliver services and other stakeholders. The exact format of any regional events has yet to be determined, but the whole of the country, including Oxfordshire, will be covered. The listening exercise is intended to guide the formation of national policy on health and care outside hospitals, rather than to discuss or formally consult on specific aspects of local service provision.

Waiting lists

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Southend primary care trust area have waited more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months, (d) 12 months, (e) 15 months, (f) 18 months and (g) 24 months for (i) heart operations, (ii) cancer treatment and (iii) hip replacements in each year since 200001; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Finished in-year admissions episodes for patients who waited up to three months, more than three months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months and 24 months for heart operations, cancer treatment and hip replacements in each year since 200001 for Southend hospital trust are shown in the following tables.
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes. Main operative procedure heart operations (OPCS-4= K01-K71).RAJ Southend hospital national health service trustNHS hospitals, England 200001 to 200304
		
			 Heart operations 
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Up to three months 750 838 1,103 1,098 
			 More than three up to six months 109 147 128 103 
			 More than six up to nine months 186 125 60 341 
			 More than nine up to 12 months 127 188 201 59 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 11 18 15 4 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months1 
			 More than 24 months 
			 Waiting time not known 3   3 
			 Total finished in-year admission episodes 1,186 1,316 1,507 1,609 
		
	
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes. Primary diagnosis cancer (ICD-10= COO-D48.)RAJ Southend hospital NHS trustNHS hospitals, England 200001 to 200304
		
			 Cancer 
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 200001 200102 2000203 200304 
		
		
			 Up to three months 5,191 5,411 4,820 3,610 
			 More than three up to six months 322 342 243 278 
			 More than six up to nine months 102 107 79 77 
			 More than nine up to 12 months 61 50 68 34 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 50 69 43 10 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months 3 10 3 6 
			 More than 24 months 4 5 3  
			 Waiting time not known 744 816 773 1,248 
			 Total finished in-year admission episodes 6,477 6,810 6,032 5,263 
		
	
	
		Counts of finished in-year admission episodes. Main operative procedure hip replacement (OPCS-4= W37-W39).RM Southend Hospital NHS trustNHS hospitals, England 200001 to 200304
		
			 Hip replacement 
			  Finished in-year admission episodes 
			 Waiting time grouping 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Up to three months 45 44 43 46 
			 More than three up to six months 23 38 35 24 
			 More than six up to nine months 48 41 38 60 
			 More than nine up to 12 months 50 43 80 91 
			 More than 12 up to 18 months 71 87 106 25 
			 More than 18 up to 24 months 17 15 8 8 
			 More than 24 months 9 6 3 15 
			 Waiting time not known1 
			 Total finished in-year admission episodes 263 274 313 270 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Finished in-year admissions:
	A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis):
	The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 200203) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3. Main operation:
	The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, for example, time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.
	4. Ungrossed data:
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data, that is, the data are ungrossed.
	5. Time waited (days):
	Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Nurses (Bedfordshire)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses there are in Bedfordshire who deal with (a) coronary heart disease and (b) arrhythmia in young people.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Technical Memoranda

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems are in place to monitor compliance with Health Technical Memoranda (HTM), with particular reference to HTM 2022 on medical gas pipeline systems; and whether she expects these monitoring systems to change with the abolition of NHS Estates, as envisaged in the Department's review of arm's length bodies.

Liam Byrne: NHS Estates does not monitor compliance to health technical memoranda (HTM), including HTM2022. It is the responsibility of the health care provider to be aware of all best practice guidance and to manage and monitor medical gas pipeline systems in line with their duty of care and governance arrangements.

Hospital Beds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of available beds required in total in the NHS in England to achieve a national average bed occupancy rate of 82 per cent.

Liam Byrne: No such assessment has been made. Occupancy levels in national health service facilities vary, depending on the range and type of services they provide, and the way in which the admission and discharge of patients is managed. The Department does not have targets for occupancy levels, which are for the NHS locally to determine.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for reduction will be attached to the hospital-acquired infections, other than methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, which are monitored under the mandatory surveillance schemes for NHS trusts.

Jane Kennedy: The first year's data will provide a baseline for trend analysis and it is too early to decide if targets would be appropriate.

Hospital-acquired Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of colloidal silver as a treatment for (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections; and what research she has commissioned into its use.

Jane Kennedy: Although colloidal silver has antibacterial properties for treating meticillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other hospital acquired infections it is not used as an alternative to antibiotics because of its toxicity when taken internally. We are not aware of any relevant studies on its efficacy.

IVF Treatment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Minister has to extend the availability of IVF treatment under the NHS.

Caroline Flint: Following the publication in February 2004 of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) clinical guideline on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems, we advised all primary care trusts to offer a minimum of one cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by April 2005 to those who meet the clinical criteria, giving priority to couples with no children living with them, and to make progress to full implementation of the guideline in the longer term. The primary responsibility for the implementation of NICE guidelines rests with the national health service at local level and compliance with NICE guidance by NHS organisations will be considered by the Healthcare Commission during their review and performance assessment processes.

Medicine Imports

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much medicine the Government imported in the last three years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The United Kingdom (UK) world trade in pharmaceuticals between 2002 and 2004 is shown in the following table.
	
		UK world tradepharmaceuticals
		
			  Total imports (millions) Total exports (millions) Trade surplus balance 
		
		
			 2002 7,558 10,179 2,621 
			 2003 8,378 11,941 3,563 
			 2004 8,635 12,348 3,713 
		
	
	This information is collected and published by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients who have killed staff within the South West London and St. George's Mental Health Trust were classified as extremely disturbed and subject to a recommendation that they should always be approached for treatment by two or more members of staff.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on Tuesday 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 587W. There has been one incident where a member of staff at the South West London and St. George's Mental Health Trust was killed by a patient. This case attracted a large amount of media attention and is to be subject to an external independent inquiry. We would not wish to prejudice the findings of this inquiry, which will be made public as soon as is possible. In the meantime, we also have a duty to protect the patient confidentiality of the patient concerned.

Mental Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the use of electroconvulsive therapy is proportionately more common in the treatment of people with mental health problems aged over 65 than in the treatment of people with mental health problems of all ages.

Rosie Winterton: The latest information available on electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is that contained in the Department's publication Statistical Bulletin Electro Convulsive Therapy: Survey covering the period from January 2002 to March 2002, England. This was a follow-up to an earlier survey of the period January to March 1999. Both surveys were undertaken to provide data on ECT that are not currently available elsewhere.
	The 2002 survey confirmed the continuing downward trend in the number of administrations of ECT. It collected information from national health service and independent sector care settings, including nursing homes, on the total number of administrations of ECT in NHS and independent sector care settings including data on sex, age, ethnicity, legal status and method of consent. It found that in the period January to March 2002:
	4.6 people per 100,000 of the population underwent ECT, compared with 5.8 in the 1999 survey period.
	The prevalence rates for both men and women were lower in 2002 than in 1999. In 2002 2.8 per 100,000 men received treatment compared to 3.8 per 100,000 in 1999; additionally, 6.4 per 100,000 women were treated in the 2002 survey period, compared to 7.7 in 1999.
	The incidence of the use of ECT was shown to rise with age in both of the survey periods. Overall, 13.5 per 100,000 population aged 65 and over underwent ECT in 2002; this compares to a prevalence rate of 5.6 in 45 to 64 year olds, 3.6 for 45 to 44 year olds and only 1.2 for 19 to 24 year olds.
	In 1999, the statistics show a similar pattern with 15.1 per 100,000 population aged 65 and over undergoing ECT; this dropped to 8.0 per 100,000 in those aged 45 to 64, to 4.6 in those aged 25 to 44 and again to 1.5 in those aged 16 to 24.
	Copies of the 2002 (ISBN: 1 84182 709 6) and 1999 (IBSN: 1 84182 089 X) surveys are available in the Library and on the Department's website at: www.dh. gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Statistics/Statistical WorkAreas/StatisticalHealthCare/StatisticalHealthCa reArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4086494chk=QFb R7a.

Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she will take to ensure that the public are able to compare investment and commissioning decisions of primary care trusts in developing specialist old age mental health services, in accordance with section 2.2.8 of the report, Better Health in Old Age.

Liam Byrne: For the first time this year, the Department will be supporting service mapping of older people's mental health services. This exercise is planned for autumn 2005. It is envisaged that similar data collections will be supported annually. Finance data on older people's mental health services will also be included for the first time in this autumn's national finance mapping of mental health services. The results for older adults will be available to the public on the internet.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will break down the membership of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Citizens' Council by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the response of I gave on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1374W.

NHS (Independent Providers)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has issued any guidance on the number of (a) NHS foundation trusts and (b) independent sector providers primary care trusts must offer to patients in their menu of four to five providers by the end of 2005; when this guidance was issued; and whether she plans to issue any further guidance.

Liam Byrne: Under the policy framework for choice and booking at the point of referral, published by the Department in August 2004, primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning the menus of four or more providers from which patients needing planned hospital care will be able to choose from the end of this year.
	Where a PCT has a contract with a nationally procured independent sector treatment centre (ISTC), the ISTC needs to be on the PCTs choice menus for those specialities covered by the contract. Other PCTs in the area should also consider offering the ISTC as a choice to their patients. We would also expect PCTs to include any independent sector provider with which they have an existing, locally negotiated, contract to provide an appropriate package of care.
	Creating a Patient Led NHS' published in March 2005, set out our commitment to increase the choice of providers available to patients from April next year. In addition to the four or more locally commissioned providers, patients will be offered the choice of all national health service foundation trusts, all independent sector treatment centres and other nationally procured independent sector providers which meet NHS standards.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for NHS Direct has been in each year since 199798; how many calls NHS Direct received in each year; and what the maximum call capacity of NHS Direct was in each year.

Liam Byrne: The budget for NHS Direct since its inception in 199899 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Revenue ( millions) 
		
		
			 199899 14 
			 19992000 55 
			 200001 90.1 
			 200102 89.7 
			 200203 106 
			 200304 117.5 
			 200405 121 
			 200506 163 
		
	
	I understand from the chairman of NHS Direct that the number of calls answered in each year since 1998 are as shown in the table.
	
		
			 Calendar year Calls answered (thousands) 
		
		
			 1998 110 
			 1999 1,650 
			 2000 3,000 
			 2001 5,001 
			 2002 5,940 
			 2003 6,420 
			 2004 6,480 
		
	
	Information on maximum call capacity is not collected centrally.

NHS Direct

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the national health service direct access tariff is.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 7 July 2005
	Direct access tariffs require more work on data collection before mandatory tariffs are introduced.

NHS Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS annual budget was spent on (a) clinical research, (b) clinical research into the treatment and prevention of cancer and (c) research into the use of photo dynamic therapy as a treatment forcancer in the last period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 6 July 2005
	Research active organisations in the National Health Service were allocated 440 million research and development support funding in 200304 1 , of which they report spending some 113 million on research related to cancer. These totals account respectively for 0.72 per cent. and 0.18 per cent. of total NHS expenditure in that year.
	Details of individual NHS projects, including some concerned with photo dynamic therapy in the treatment of cancer, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research. Project level expenditure data for 200304 are not held centrally.
	1 In addition to clinical research, the allocations to the NHS support health services research, public health research, and research to develop and apply new technology in the NHS.

NHS Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts are in debt, listed in descending order of indebtedness; and what the size of each debt was in each case.

Liam Byrne: The latest available audited information in national health service trusts that failed to break even in their financial accounts is for 200304, and is shown in the table. In 200304, the NHS as a whole finished with a small surplus of 73 million.
	
		NHS trusts(31) cumulative breakeven position200304
		
			  000 
			 NHS trust name Breakeven position 
		
		
			 North Bristol NHS Trust -48,766 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust -26,752 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust -23,812 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust -20,820 
			 Barnet And Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust -19,564 
			 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust -17,260 
			 Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust -17,057 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust -13,581 
			 East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust -10,312 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust -8,201 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust -7,661 
			 Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust -7,466 
			 North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust -7,291 
			 The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust -6,737 
			 Blackpool, Fylde And Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust -5,886 
			 Kings Lynn And Wisbech Hospitals NHS Trust -5,706 
			 South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust -5,639 
			 Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust -5,521 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust -5,237 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust -5,185 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust -5,112 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust -5,054 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust -5,010 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust -4,927 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust -4,875 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust -4,805 
			 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust -4,502 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust -4,167 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust -4,038 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust -3,934 
			 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust -3,555 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust -3,498 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHD Trust -3,237 
			 Avon and Wiltshire MHP NHS Trust -3,179 
			 Rob Jones And A Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust -3,097 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust -2,931 
			 Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust -2,885 
			 Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust -2,597 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust -2,597 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust -2,589 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust -2,490 
			 Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust -2,324 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust -2,094 
			 East Sussex County NHS Trust -1,970 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust -1,940 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust -1,904 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust -1,802 
			 Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust -1,696 
			 Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland MH NHS Trust -1,677 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey MH NHS Trust -1,606 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust -1,588 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust -1,402 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust -1,363 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust -1,351 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust -1,318 
			 Airedale NHS Trust -1,300 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust -1,254 
			 Barts and the London NHS Trust -1,075 
			 North West Surrey MH NHS Partnership NHS Trust -1,065 
			 Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust -1,049 
			 Local Health Partnerships NHS Trust -1,039 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust -1,032 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust -952 
			 Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust -805 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust -721 
			 Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust -607 
			 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust -574 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust -565 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust -559 
			 North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust -546 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust -424 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust -378 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust -358 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust -321 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust -317 
			 Addenbrooke's NHS Trust -310 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic NHS Trust -307 
			 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust -281 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust -269 
			 Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust -263 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust -257 
			 Bedford Hospitals NHS Trust -233 
			 Scarborough and NE Yorks NHS Trust -229 
			 Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust -206 
			 Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust -201 
			 Christie Hospital NHS Trust -115 
			 Papworth Hospital NHS Trust -115 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust -101 
			 Sandwell MH Social Care NHS Trust -82 
			 Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Trust -78 
			 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust -77 
			 Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust -69 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust -52 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust -42 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust -29 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust -22 
		
	
	Source:
	Summarisation schedule of 200304 final accounts

Occupational Therapists

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there were for occupational therapists working with (a) children and (b) adults on (i) 1 April 2004 and (ii) 1 April 2005 in (A) Dorset and (B) England; and if she will make a statement on the provision of occupational services in Dorset.

Liam Byrne: Information is not collected centrally on the number of vacancies for occupational therapists working specifically with children or adults. The table shows the rate and number of vacancies for occupational therapists in England and by selected organisation within Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority (SHA) as at March 2004.
	Occupational therapy services in Dorset are provided by the national health service organisations shown in the table plus three local authorities. The number of occupational therapists employed within Dorset and Somerset SHA has increased by 149 or 43 per cent. between 1997 and 2004, and the rate of vacancies lasting three months or more is 1.1 per cent. which compares well with the England average.
	
		Department of Health vacancies survey, March 2004. NHS three-month occupation therapy vacancies for England and Dorset and Somerset SHA area. Three-month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post.
		
			   Occupational therapists 
			   March 2004 September 2004 
			   Three month vacancy rate (percentage) Three month vacancy number Staff in post (full time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			 England  5 693 13,879 16,371 
			   
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset SHA  1.1 4 396 494 
			 Of which:  
			 Bournemouth PCT 5CE * 1 2 4 
			 Dorset Health Care NHS Trust RDY 2.6 2 92 106 
			 North Dorset PCT 5CD 0.0  53 68 
			 Poole hospitals NHS Trust RD3 0.0  26 34 
			 Poole PCT 5KV *  8 9 
			 Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals NHS Trust RDZ 2.9 1 37 47 
			 South and East Dorset PCT 5FN 0.0  20 30 
			 South West Dorset PCT 5FP *  11 13 
			 West Dorset general hospitals NHS Trust RBD 0.0  14 20 
		
	
	Sources:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Vacancies Survey, March 2004.
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2004

Physiotherapists

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time to see a physiotherapist was in each NHS trust area in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Primary Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government achieved its target of delivering (a) 500 primary care centres and (b) 3,000 modernised general practitioner premises by December 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The targets published in the NHS Plan were for 500 one-stop primary care centres to be provided and up to 3,000 family doctors' premises to be substantially refurbished or replaced by 2004. In December 2004, 510 one-stop primary care centres and the refurbishments or replacements of 2,850 general practitioner premises had been completed or were under construction. These have resulted from the 900 million invested in primary care buildings since 2000.

Private Finance Initiative

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out for all private finance initiative projects granted approval by her Department since 1997 (a) their total value, (b) the revenue payments made to date and (c) the estimated revenue payments for the life of each private finance initiative contract.

Liam Byrne: Information on all private finance initiative projects with a capital value of 10 million or greater given the go ahead by the Department since 1997 and details of unitary payments, equivalent of revenue payments, for schemes which have reached financial close are shown in the tables.
	It is not possible to include details of the unitary payments for schemes yet to reach financial close as they are not finalised and are commercially sensitive.
	
		PFI schemes who have made unitary payments to end of 200304
		
			 Commissioning body Capital value ( million) Total unitary payments to end of 200304 ( million) Estimated total unitary payments to end of contract ( million) see note 
		
		
			 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals 13 0.1 136.3 
			 Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust 18 1.5 62.3 
			 Royston, Buntingford and Bishops Stortford PCT 15 1.9 85.3 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital 15 2.2 50.5 
			 Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust 29 2.2 166.8 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals* 22 2.5 85.8 
			 East London and the City Mental Health 15 3.0 63.3 
			 Guildford and Waverley PCT 29 3.0 135.0 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust 11 3.1 43.3 
			 North East London Mental Health 11 3.5 49.4 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust* 30 4.2 189.3 
			 Cornwall Healthcare NHS Trust 10 5.0 83.8 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust* 46 7.3 367.3 
			 Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup 15 7.5 79.2 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital* 60 9.7 519.6 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust 28 10.7 141.9 
			 Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University NHS Trust 17 10.8 137.2 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health 18 11.0 319.2 
			 West Sussex Health and Social Care 22 14.3 144.0 
			 County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust* 48 15.1 369.0 
			 Leeds Mental Health Teaching* 47 16.7 296.4 
			 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust* 100 22.6 634.4 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust* 118 25.5 845.2 
			 South Tees Acute Hospital* 122 26.2 1,177.7 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust* 76 29.8 920.3 
			 Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust* 64 32.5 453.2 
			 County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust* 61 36.6 513.3 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals* 45 41.7 420.2 
			 South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust* 67 46.1 875.9 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield* 65 51.2 714.4 
			 North Cumbria Acute Hospitals* 67 51.5 518.9 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals* 87 54.9 765.6 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals* 54 59.7 768.8 
			 Dartford and Gravesham Hospital* 94 70.8 563.8 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust* 96 75.0 756.0 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Health Care* 158 105.5 1,620.7 
		
	
	
		PFI schemes who have yet to make unitary payments (as at end 200304)
		
			 Commissioning body Capital value ( million) Estimated total unitary payments to end of contract ( million) 
		
		
			 County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 10 94.1 
			 Mid Devon PCT 10 66.6 
			 Doncaster and South Humber Healthcare NHS Trust 12 76.7 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 14 68.7 
			 County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust 16 33.7 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare 19 98.9 
			 Newbury PCT 19 145.7 
			 Brent PCT 21 130.5 
			 Daventry and South Northamptonshire 24 94.1 
			 Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust 24 109.2 
			 North Kirklees PCT 25 94.0 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 26 138.7 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 28 353.7 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 30 113.4 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 30 140.2 
			 Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland MH NHS Trust 31 227.8 
			 The Whittington NHS Trust 32 158.5 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals* 32 148.7 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust* 36 163.3 
			 New Forest PCT 36 203.8 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic NHS Trust 37 286.3 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals 47 459.0 
			 Newham Healthcare NHS Trust 52 515.4 
			 North West London Hospitals* 69 313.0 
			 Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust* 72 280.9 
			 Wandsworth PCT 75 434.1 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals 76 316.1 
			 Avon and Western Wiltshire MH* 83 287.9 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust* 110 503.1 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals* 134 872.2 
			 Dudley Group of Hospitals* 137 1,081.9 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge* 238 1,675.6 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust* 265 891.4 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals* 308 1,012.0 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Trust* 312 2,127.3 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust* 379 3,090.0 
			 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals* 420 2,975.5 
			 University College London Hospitals* 422 2,014.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures are in nominal terms ie the Department has applied a deflator (RPIthe one normally used in contracts) to the baselines figure submitted to it by the Trust. Figures will vary as a result of changes in RPI.
	2. Unitary payments are subject to satisfactory performance by the contractor and other factors such as refinancing.
	3. Details of length of contracts for each scheme are only kept centrally for prioritised schemes (marked *). For other schemes in the table the contract length is assumed to be 30 years, the standard length introduced under the NHS Standard Form Contract in 1999.

Public Engagement Contracts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value is of the contract tendered to run the public engagement exercise related to the forthcoming White Paper, health outside hospitals, announced by the Department on 23 June; and whether Opinion Leader Research is being considered for this contract.

Liam Byrne: The value of the contract for the forthcoming White Paper on health outside hospitals has not yet been determined. Opinion Leader Research is one of the companies who have been asked to tender for the contract. The tendering process is being carried out on the Department's behalf by the Central Office of Information.

Radiographers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the average age of a radiographer employed in the NHS in each year since 1997, (a) broken down by gender and (b) in total.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: total qualified radiography staff in England by average age and gender as at 30 September in each specified year
		
			 Average age 
			  Radiographers total Male radiographers Female radiographers 
		
		
			 1997 38 36 38 
			 1998 38 37 38 
			 1999 38 37 39 
			 2000 39 38 39 
			 2001 39 38 39 
			 2002 40 39 40 
			 2003 40 39 40 
			 2004 40 39 40 
		
	
	Note:
	Age figures are rounded to nearest year
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Sickness Absence

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned on reasons for levels of sickness absence among nursing staff.

Liam Byrne: The Department's directly funded policy research programme (PRP) has commissioned a number of projects with a bearing on sickness absence in nursing, alongside related factors such as staff satisfaction and turnover. The PRP is also funding research on vaccinating health care workers against influenza. A PRP research study completed in 2001 found there was no simple correlation between ward staffing levels and costs, and levels of stress among nursing staff.
	The main part of the Department's expenditure on health research is allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects supported in the NHS, including a number concerned with aspects of nursing staff absenteeism, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
	The national back in work campaign, which is aimed at all NHS staff, has commissioned current work from the university of Leeds on understanding musculoskeletally related sickness absence and job loss in nurses and nursing assistants.

Solpaflex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make the drug Solpaflex available on NHS prescription; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Solpaflex is already available on national health service prescription.

Statutory Instrument Sponsorship

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory instruments have been sponsored by her Department since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: Lists of all statutory instruments (SIs) from 1 January 1998 to 30 June 2005, prepared by the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) have today been placed in the Library. These lists, prepared in alphabetical order by department, detail for each year from 1998 the number and title of each statutory instrument sponsored by the Department. There are separate lists for general and local SIs. SIs which have originated from departments but which were also Orders in Council are only listed under the Privy Council Office (PCO).

Walk-in Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2005, Official Report, column 124445, on walk-in health centres, if she will publish the data on which she drew to establish that the cost per consultation in a walk-in-centre is falling relative to the cost per consultation with a GP.

Liam Byrne: The reply drew upon data from the national evaluation of NHS walk-in centres, which were published in July 2002. This shows that consultation costs fall significantly as the walk-in service becomes established and patient as throughput grows. The report can be found on the university of Bristol website at www.epi.bris.ac.uk/wic.

TRANSPORT

A47 Soke Parkway

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made with regard to the introduction of whisper-quiet road surfacing on the A47 Soke Parkway in Peterborough.

Stephen Ladyman: Quieter surfacing, in accordance with the Highways Agency's specification, will be provided on two lanes of the westbound carriageway of the A47 Soke Parkway through the Thomas Cook Interchange in this financial year.

Arms Trafficking

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if the Government will take steps to agree international standards for the administration of aircraft registers for the purposes of control over the transportation of arms;
	(2)  if he will seek to tighten rules on international aircraft insurance to deter companies from trafficking arms.

Karen Buck: International aviation is already subject to a well-developed and closely monitored regulatory regime established by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention). Under the Convention the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) establishes detailed standards and recommended practices for the airworthiness of aircraft, the operational standards of airlines, and many other aspects of aviation. These standards and recommended practices relate primarily to safety and security issues, and cover safety issues relating to the carriage of munitions and other dangerous goods. In addition the Convention itself provides that weapons and munitions of war may only be carried through the airspace of a state with the permission of that state.
	To ensure that these standards are properly implemented, ICAO has established the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme under which the regulatory regime of each Contracting State is audited at regular intervals, and the results made available to all other States. Where deficiencies are identified, the State concerned is required to draw up an Action Plan agreed with ICAO, and ICAO subsequently assesses the implementation of the Plan.
	Within Europe there is already a regulatory regime on aviation insurance, with the relevant national authority required to ensure that airlines/carriers have sufficient insurance cover, and in line with EU law and our bilateral agreements with third countries we require foreign aircraft visiting the UK to demonstrate evidence of adequate cover. Further rules on insurance would impose an additional regulatory burden in already well-regulated States but might not be adequately implemented or enforced in countries with less stringent governance.

Aviation Ministers

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 16W, on aviation Ministers, if he will list the junior Ministers who have had responsibility for aviation policy since May 1997, indicating the dates between which they held such responsibilities.

Karen Buck: As I said in my answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 16W to my hon. Friend, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had responsibility for all forms of transport policy including aviation, since the formation of the Department on 29 May 2002. As my answer of 4 July 2005 stated, no post has been designated as aviation Minister, but support has been provided to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by his ministerial team on all transport matters throughout this period.

Biofuels

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce a biofuels sustainability certification scheme.

Stephen Ladyman: We are currently considering as part of our feasibility study into a possible Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation whether some form of carbon certification, or wider sustainability certification, might form a part of any obligation. The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, an action and advisory group funded by the Department and the Department of Trade and Industry, is also seeking to develop a voluntary accreditation system which will help guarantee the sustainability of biofuel production.

Central Trains

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding has been allocated to Central Trains since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Annual payments to all train operators are set out in appendix 3 of the SRA's Annual Report and Accounts. A copy of the 200304 document has been placed in the Library of the House. For Central Trains, the annual report states that between 199697 and 200304 Central Trains received 785,665,000 in net franchise payments.

Civil Aviation Authority

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much the Civil Aviation Authority has spent on payments to former employees in settlement of claims (a) in total and (b) for unfair dismissal in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what costs were incurred by the Civil Aviation Authority in defending legal actions against it from employees in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Karen Buck: The figures for settlement of claims in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 (a) Total  
		
		
			 2001 6,490.87 
			 2002 13,332.40 
			 2003 1,169.00 
			 2004 70,000.00 
			 2005 (31)0.00 
			   
			 (b) Unfair dismissal 
			 2001 6,490.87 
			 2002 13,332.40 
			 2003 1,169.00 
			 2004 5,000.00 
			 2005 (31)0.00 
		
	
	(31) To date
	The CAA's costs in 2003 and 2004 were 117,901 and 13,740 respectively.

Conferences

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department has spent on (a) organising and (b) sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Karen Buck: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many people are employed by Cross London Rail Links Ltd.; and how much Government financial support the company has received;
	(2)  how much Government financial support has been made available for Crossrail since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: In May 2001, Cross London Rail Links Ltd. was provided with ring-fenced funding of 154 million for the purpose of developing Crossrail.
	Staffing is a matter for Cross London Rail Links Ltd. (CLRLL). I understand from CLRLL that it currently directly employs 75 staff. A further 38 staff work on secondment from Transport for London and four work on secondment from the Strategic Rail Authority.

Crossrail

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Crossrail route passes through the proposed London Olympic site at Pudding Mill Lane;
	(2)  whether a successful London Olympic bid would delay the completion of the Crossrail project.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The Government have always said that Crossrail could not be completed before 2012 and that it could therefore not form part of the Olympics transport solution. That remains the case.
	Crossrail construction works will be carried out at Pudding Lane station and a Crossrail tunnel portal will be constructed in that area and will therefore interact with works to construct the Olympics Masterplan.
	Cross London Rail Links Ltd. has been and will continue to work closely with the London Development Agency over the interaction of the two projects, to ensure that they are compatible.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are seconded from his Department to work on the Crossrail project.

Derek Twigg: None.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the projected costs of implementation of Crossrail were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I understand from Cross London Rail Links Ltd. that the cost of the hybrid Bill scheme was estimated to be 10.063 billion in 2003; 10.370 billion in 2004; and 10;292 billion in 2005, in first quarter 2002 prices. Comparable figures are not available for before 2003.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list public affairs consultancies that have been employed to date in connection with the Crossrail bid, broken down by (a) sums paid and (b) projects; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: This is a matter for Cross London Rail Links Ltd. I understand from them that they employ one public affairs consultancy, A.S. Biss and Co. The company is employed to promote the understanding of the aims, objectives and benefits of the Crossrail scheme amongst stakeholders. CLRLL has paid the company 550,000 since 200203.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list events paid for by the corporate hospitality fund of the Crossrail project since 1997.

Derek Twigg: This is a matter for Cross London Rail Links Ltd. I understand from the company that it does not have a corporate hospitality fund but that it did provide occasional hospitality at a number of Crossrail briefings during 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Treasury on (a) funding, (b) lender of last resort status and (c) underwriting for Crossrail.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The Department for Transport has regular discussions with HM Treasury covering all aspects of the funding of Crossrail.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on measures to be taken to encourage increased efficiency in Network Rail track management on routes identified to be used by Crossrail.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 July 2005
	Discussions are on-going with Network Rail on operational aspects on routes identified to be used by Crossrail.

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications of the Crossrail project for London's Olympic bid.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The Government have always said that Crossrail could not be completed before 2012 and that it could therefore not form part of the Olympics transport solution.
	Cross London Rail Links Ltd. has been and will continue to work closely with the London Development Agency over the interaction of the two projects, to ensure that they are compatible.

Driving Licences

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British citizens with full driving licences there were in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The nationality of full driving licence holders is not recorded. The Following figures show the number of full licences held over the last 10 years by those resident in GB who have obtained a British driving licence.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199697 30,200,000 
			 19982000 31,500,000 
			 2001 33,017,201 
			 2002 33,419,386 
			 2003 33,817,214 
			 2004 34,278,894 
			 2005 34,420,452

EU Travel

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens who travelled to countries within the EU between June and September in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Don Foster, dated 12 July 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of British citizens who have travelled to countries within the EU between June and September in each year since 2000.I am replying in his absence. (10190)
	Information is available for UK nationals who are resident in the UK. We do not have information for UK nationals resident overseas who may have visited countries within the EU. The attached table shows visits to the EU between JuneSeptember each year from 2000 to 2004.
	The data have been split by EU15 and Accession countries, since the definition of EU countries has changed since 2000.
	These estimates are based on International Passenger Survey data, and as with any statistical survey, are subject to sampling variability.
	
		International passenger survey. Visits to the EU by UK nationals who are UK residents, June to September 200004(32)
		
			  June to September 
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			  Visits 1,000 Sample size Visits 1,000 Sample size Visits 1,000 Sample size Visits 1,000 Sample size Visits 1,000 Sample size 
		
		
			 EU 15   
			 Austria 187 164 193 162 209 184 182 157 218 179 
			 Belgium 484 405 560 466 517 427 546 470 525 466 
			 Denmark 97 112 94 105 94 94 94 97 97 94 
			 Finland 42 42 49 50 37 38 33 33 42 38 
			 France 4,591 3,442 4,586 3,260 4,916 3,553 4,345 3,388 4,527 3,570 
			 Germany 783 678 725 604 677 592 648 549 681 542 
			 Greece 1,872 1,635 2,146 1,671 2,041 1,666 2,031 1,486 1,933 1,472 
			 Irish Republic 1,150 628 996 640 1,058 718 1,052 759 1,111 871 
			 Italy 979 857 973 832 1,017 830 1,134 854 1,212 912 
			 Luxembourg 21 18 22 16 24 18 31 23 32 23 
			 Netherlands 609 596 670 632 728 664 678 577 683 595 
			 Portugal 697 522 787 570 816 573 874 601 759 537 
			 Spain 5,301 4,030 5,561 3,862 5,663 4,104 6,123 4,291 6,360 4,452 
			 Sweden 92 111 113 125 110 114 104 98 103 92 
			
			 Accession 8   
			 Czech Republic 77 71 117 101 114 99 174 147 211 160 
			 Estonia 3 4 3 3 3 4 9 8 14 9 
			 Hungary 55 47 46 41 36 36 48 42 67 59 
			 Latvia 4 5 4 6 6 6 4 5 7 8 
			 Lithuania 2 4   6 7 8 7 10 8 
			 Poland 56 58 55 54 48 44 65 59 80 73 
			 Slovakia 10 10 4 5 13 13 3 3 11 10 
			 Slovenia 19 19 16 15 17 18 14 13 33 27 
			
			 Accession 9 + 10   
			 Cyprus 545 450 640 465 584 432 574 429 642 464 
			 Malta 176 140 216 162 151 131 203 154 215 145 
		
	
	(32) EU definition: information is set out to show the original members and accession countries which have joined the EU since 1 May 2004.

Fuel-efficient Cars

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage people to buy cars that are fuel-efficient.

Stephen Ladyman: The main steps are summarised in the Government's 2002 Powering Future Vehicles Strategy. The progress we have made in encouraging people to choose more fuel efficient vehicles is described in the first two annual reports on the delivery of the strategy. All of these documents are available via the Department for Transport's website.
	In 2001 we introduced a graduated vehicle excise duty system which rewards those who choose the most fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2002, we introduced a revised company car tax scheme, under which those who choose the most fuel efficient vehicles can save up to several thousand pounds a year. These changes have reinforced the actions of the motor industry to deliver fuel efficiency improvements under their voluntary agreements with the European Commission, improving the average fuel efficiency of new cars sold in the UK by some 10 per cent. over the last decade.
	We have also this year launched a colour-coded fuel efficiency label which will be displayed on new vehicles in nearly all UK car showrooms by the end of the summer. This will highlight the savings that motorists can make by choosing more fuel efficient vehicles. We are also considering, subject to the necessary state aid approval from the European Commission, the introduction of a purchase grant scheme which will reward those who choose the very cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicles.

Heathrow

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what investigations his Department has carried out into the additional (a) air and (b) noise pollution that will result from a fifth terminal being built at Heathrow airport; and what plans he has to combat these increases;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the British Airports Authority regarding the limitation of environmental damage in the construction of the fifth terminal at Heathrow;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect the building of the fifth terminal at Heathrow will have on the surrounding transport infrastructure, with particular reference to the (a) M25 and (b) rail network.

Karen Buck: These matters were examined at the Planning Inquiry and the Inspector's conclusions and recommendation were set out in his report. The 20 November 2001 decision struck a balance between the benefits and the disbenefits of this development and imposed strict controls.
	These include a limit on flights of 480,000 per annum, a noise contour cap, a requirement that the Heathrow Express and Piccadilly Lines are extended to Terminal 5 before it opens, a reduction in car parking spaces, including for employees, below the levels proposed by BAA, consultation on stricter controls on night flights and no widening of the M4.

Interchange Box (St. Pancras Station)

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what planning considerations are preventing the fitting out of the interchange box under St. Pancras Station.

Derek Twigg: Construction of the Thameslink Midland Road station box was authorised by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996. The fitting out of the station does not require further authorisation.

London Underground

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will undertake a review of safety procedures for railway staff attending incidents on electric railway tracks following the incident on 29 June at King's Cross Station on the Piccadilly line; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will undertake a review of safety procedures for staff from the (a) Ambulance Service and (b) Fire Brigade when attending incidents on electric railway tracks following the incident on 29 June at King's Cross Station on the Piccadilly line; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: holding answer 11 July 2005
	A formal investigation is now being undertaken by both London Underground (LU) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to determine the causes of the incident at King's Cross on 29 June. This type of incident involving electric shocks is very rare and so far it has not proved possible to identify the power source for the shocks received by the emergency services staff.
	Once the investigation is complete HSE and LU will review the findings to identify and implement any necessary changes to safety procedures to minimise the risk of a recurrence.

M6 Toll Road

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government will announce its decision on the proposed new M6 Toll Road.

Stephen Ladyman: The consultation exercise, M6: giving motorists a choice sought views on whether the Department should develop the option of an M6 Expressway between Birmingham and Manchester as an alternative to the current option to widen the M6 between junctions 11a and 19. The Government are considering the response to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Pensioners (Free Travel)

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the pensioner concessionary travel scheme to include use of trams.

Karen Buck: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, columns 2425W.

Rail Services

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority on the review of off-peak train services.

Derek Twigg: None. The SRA is not currently conducting a general review of off- peak rail services.
	However, on 1 June the Strategic Rail Authority issued invitations to tender to bidders for the new Greater Western franchise and on 2 June issued a stakeholder consultation document. The current half-hourly 'inter-city' service between Cardiff and London Paddington is included in the timetabled specification that forms the base case. To determine the value for money of running these services and to assess options, each bidder is also being asked to provide a priced option for a reduction in the service frequency in the off peak, from half-hourly to hourly.

Rolling Stock

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will break down by project the 600 million rolling stock and infrastructure investment referred to at page 19 of the Integrated Kent Franchise Stakeholder Briefing Document published in January.

Derek Twigg: This investment has been carried out as part of a single project: the new trains programme which has been carried out to replace Mark 1 slam-door rolling stock with modern trains. This project represents a total investment of over 600 million in Kent including works carried out to upgrade the power supply, lengthen platforms and provide new depot facilities.

Vehicle Licensing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of cars licensed to run on British roads were first licensed prior to 1975.

Stephen Ladyman: In March 2005, there were 212,000 licensed cars first registered prior to 1975 making up 0.8 per cent. of the total licensed stock.

Vehicle Licensing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British-owned motor vehicles are licensed to drive on British roads.

Stephen Ladyman: There are 32.9 million licensed vehicles in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The vehicle registers do not hold information on the nationality of the vehicle keeper but before a vehicle can be registered an address in Great Britain or Northern Ireland must be supplied.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Asian Tsunami

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to assist the recovery of the tourism industry in South East Asia following the tsunami.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not provided any direct assistance to support the recovery of the tourist industry after the Asian tsunami. Our response has focused upon saving lives, alleviating the suffering of displaced poor people, the restoration of basic services for homes and livelihoods.

Asian Tsunami

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government on tsunami recovery work in Sri Lanka.

Gareth Thomas: Discussions were first held in January when the Secretary of State for International Development visited Sri Lanka to make an initial assessment of the situation and the impact of our emergency assistance. I visited Sri Lanka from 1517 June to review progress and to consider how best we may maintain support. During my visit I held discussions with the Finance Secretary, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President's spokesperson for Relief, Reconstruction and Reconciliation, the Heads of the Government's Task Forces for Relief and Reconstruction, and local government representatives. I also met officials leading the peace process. I discussed progress with other donors, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and met some of the communities devastated by the tsunami.
	International organisations and NGOs have mobilised sufficient resources to meet all identified relief and reconstruction needs. The immediate relief effort was successful and recovery work has now started. There has been good progress: some 30,000 transitional homes have been constructed for families who lost their homes; contracts have been signed to rebuild 176 of the 182 schools damaged and funds promised for the balance. Some 95 per cent. of the children affected by the tsunami are now back at school. Hospital reconstruction is also underway and fully financed. Roads, railways and power supplies (where these existed) have been restored.
	Much remains to be done however. Increased effort is required to restore livelihoods. In addition the Government ban on rebuilding within a buffer zone stretching 100 to 200 metres from the sea is causing problems in some districts because of the scarcity of suitable alternative land. Furthermore the immense size of the reconstruction task is stretching the capacity of central and local government to manage and coordinate the reconstruction effort. Inevitably this contributes to bureaucratic delay in some instances and assistance reaching some communities sooner than others. The Government and LTTE agreement to establish a post-tsunami operational management structure should help ensure that communities in the north-east are better able to access external support.
	The Government have commissioned an inquiry into the buffer zone regulation and has indicated that it may consider flexible implementation where appropriate. The Government also assures me that they will take the necessary steps to reduce delays in implementing reconstruction plans. I confirmed that Her Majesty's Government stands ready to provide support as needed. DFID staff in Sri Lanka are discussing options with Government and partners.

China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China about the one child policy.

Gareth Thomas: I have not had any recent discussions with the Government of China about the one child policy. DFID supports the work of the United Nations Population Fund, which seeks to demonstrate that an approach to reproductive health and family planning which delivers quality care to its recipients is a viable alternative to an administrative system driven by targets.

Deforestation (Brazil)

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps (a) the EU and (b) the UK are taking to support the action plan of the Brazilian Government to prevent and control deforestation in the Legal Amazon.

Gareth Thomas: The Brazilian Government are working on a range of short and long-term responses to tackle deforestation in the Amazon. These actions are set out in the National Forestry Programme and its Sustainable Amazon Plan. The Sustainable Amazon Plan was a product of the 186 million multi-donor Pilot Programme for the Preservation of Rainforests (PPG7). DFID has directly contributed 14 million to PPG7 since 1993. DFID's support for PPG7 was completed in 200405, with the exception of a project to support the livelihoods of indigenous people, which will end in March 2007.
	DFID provides support to Brazilian Government efforts through non-governmental organisations and international financial institutions. DFID's Partnership Programme Agreement with the World Wildlife Fund (800,000 a year in 200506 to 200708) enables them to enhance their work on the environment and deforestation in Brazil. Through DFID's membership of the World Bank a $0.5 billion loan was approved to promote environmental sustainability in Brazil. The environment is also a focus of the European Commission's five-year 180 million co-operation with Brazil, providing 65 million in support of PPG7.
	HMG are currently funding over 1 million of on-going initiatives to promote sustainable management of Brazil's forests and biodiversity. These include 239,800 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Opportunities Fund for a project aiming to combat deforestation by developing a scheme for forest-friendly soya production.
	The UK, under the lead of DEFRA, has this year launched a high-level Sustainable Development Dialogue with Brazil on how best to promote sustainable development, including on deforestation in the Amazon region.

Departmental Advertising

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: We do not hold a separate advertising budget; the majority of advertising relates to recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals. Figures for the five calendar years 200005 are as follows. Expenditure figures for the previous years are not available:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 2000 751,972 
			 2001 1,208,191 
			 2002 914,571 
			 2003 849,196 
			 2004 700,077

EU Sugar Regime

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the European Commission's proposals for changes to the EU sugar pricing and subsidy regime on African Caribbean Pacific countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The EU sugar regime is an anachronism and must be reformed. It supports EU growers and processors with expensive subsidies, to the disadvantage of efficient developing country exporters. The EU is one of the highest cost producers in the world, yet it is also the second largest exporter, thanks to these subsidies.
	The existing system leads many African Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) country producers to export raw sugar to the EU even when it is not profitable to do so, meaning that scarce government resources are often diverted to maintain a sugar industry. It also forces the EU to dump approximately five million tonnes of heavily subsidised sugar on the world market each year. This keeps the world price low, making it difficult for developing country producers to sell in their own markets locally, as well as making it harder for them to export. Reform should create an environment where growers make their decisions on the basis of their own competitiveness, not on how much money they will be paid in subsidies, and enable Least Developed Countries (LDC)s to benefit in a sustainable manner from the duty-free and quota-free access to Europe that they will receive for sugar by 2009 under the Everything But Arms initiative.
	We are aware, however, that reform will have serious ramifications for some of the 18 African Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Sugar Protocol countries that receive preferential access to the European market. These countries will face a price cut of up to 39 per cent. for their sugar exports to Europe. Some of them export only a relatively small proportion of their sugar crop to Europe, but others are heavily dependent on the European market. In Guyana, for example, sugar production makes up 18 per cent. of GDP, most of which is exported to Europe. We believe that reform could cost the ACP up to 500 million per year in lost revenues and lost foreign exchange. This is why we have placed such an emphasis on the transitional assistance measures that are an integral part of the overall reform. The UK has been pushing for timely and adequate assistance to be made available, and we have been working with the ACP to help them to develop the country plans through which assistance will be delivered.
	DFID funded a workshop in Trinidad in March involving the European Commission and the Caribbean Sugar Protocol countries to begin this process, and we will also be providing some 200,000, with similar levels of joint funding from the European Commission, to help produce these country plans in the Caribbean. The Commission anticipates that the plans will provide for a combination of trade and aid measures to improve productivity in the sugar sector, to assist diversification into other sectors and to respond to the broader impacts of adjustment (such as on social services and macro-economic stability), with the balance between these varying country by country. We will continue to work with the ACP and the Commission to make transitional assistance available in good time and as, effective as possible.

Good Governance (Africa)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries in Africa are assessed as having good governance.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 5 July 2005
	Africa needs effective states that govern justly, invest in their own people and are accountable to them. There is no perfect systemand we give priority to assessing and supporting improvements in governance over time rather than simple status at any point in time. The various aspects of governance also need to be considered.
	The World Bank monitors standards of governance every year. Their data shows that 'voice and accountability' significantly improved in Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania between 1996 and 2004. Within the same time-span, 'government effectiveness' significantly improved in Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And 'control of corruption' significantly improved in Gabon, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
	Further details of this report can be found in the document entitled Governance Matters IV: New Data, New Challenges of which I have arranged for copies to be deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Horticulture

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage horticulture in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Horticulture is playing an increasingly important role in driving agricultural growth and providing sustainable livelihoods for millions of poor households.
	In middle-income and many larger developing countries, household spending on fruit and vegetables is rising rapidly relative to that on basic food staples, providing new levels of demand for agricultural products. In India for example, horticulture already accounts for over half the value of agricultural output.
	Elsewhere, high value fruit and vegetable exports continue to expand, providing export earnings and much needed employment. This is especially evident in sub-Saharan Africa, where the annual value of horticulture exports now exceeds $2 billion with particularly strong growth in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Ghana. Small-scale production is playing a major part in this; in Kenya small-scale farmers produce 75 per cent. of fresh produce exports to the EU.
	We are supporting research through our contribution to the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (currently 300,000 in core funding) and our bilateral research programme is assisting the development of smallholder horticulture in Eastern and Southern Africa. We have also successfully persuaded the Science Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to include horticulture within its research priorities for 200515.
	We are also focusing on the challenges which increasingly stringent product standards (often set by the retail trade itself) present to developing country producers, particularly smallholders, seeking access to valuable European markets. We have recently begun a three-year programme working with retailers, importers, standard-setting bodies (in particular the Euro-Retailer Produce Working GroupGood Agricultural Practices (EUREPGAP) and producers, aimed at ensuring that standards and other procurement practices do not discriminate against small-scale producers.
	We are also active in a number of countries. For example in Kenya, through a programme to promote the development of business services in horticulture, DFID has supported export horticultural development to the tune of 582,000 in the last two years. An additional 290,000 will be spent by June 2006. Much of these funds are spent assisting smallholders to cope with the process and cost of compliance with EUREPGAP standards.

Iraq

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent by the Government on reconstruction in Iraq, in each month since January.

Hilary Benn: Monthly expenditure by DFID on reconstruction assistance to Iraq since January 2005 has been as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 January 1,496,116 
			 February 2,206,802 
			 March 13,137,196 
			 April 807,177 
			 May 1,222,741 
			 June 3,488,257 
		
	
	The March expenditure figure is substantially higher than that for other months due to a 10 million payment to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its 2005 Iraq Appeal. Variations in expenditure from month to month also reflect when invoices were received for completed work on different projects.
	In addition, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has continued expenditure in Iraq under its 30 million programme of quick impact projects (of which about 27 million has been spent since April 2003); and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made disbursements under the joint FCO/MoD/DFID financed Global Conflict Prevention Pool for Iraq (on which over 23 million has been spent since April 2003). Monthly breakdowns of this spending are not available.

Tanzania/Gambia

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the Government have given to (a) Tanzania and (b) Gambia in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The following table provides a breakdown of the UK's bilateral aid and imputed multilateral shares to Tanzania and Gambia since 1997. Figures are taken from the published statistics on International Development 1997/982003/04 and the DAC online database.
	
		
			   thousand 
			 Bilateral aid Total DFID programme 
		
		
			 Gambia  
			 199798 1,311 
			 199899 976 
			 19992000 1,370 
			 200001 1,748 
			 200102 2,043 
			 200203 894 
			 200304 429 
			   
			 Tanzania  
			 199798 42,197 
			 199899 50,105 
			 19992000 64,323 
			 200001 68,929 
			 200102 64,998 
			 200203 95,948 
			 200304 80,482 
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics on International Development
	
		 million
		
			  Imputed multilateral shares 
			  EC Other UN World Bank Total 
		
		
			 1997 0.14 0.10 0.28 0.34 0.86 
			 1998 0.72 0.24 0.28 0.11 1.34 
			 1999 0.22 0.02 0.27 0.00 0.51 
			 2000 1.12 0.19 0.29 0.25 1.84 
			 2001 0.47 0.54 0.28 0.62 1.91 
			 2002 0.49 0.58 0.32 0.00 1.38 
			   
			  EC Other UN World Bank Total 
			 1997 5.59 3.17 1.13 7.37 17.26 
			 1998 3.88 2.89 1.21 5.30 13.28 
			 1999 5.73 1.68 1.28 0.00 8.69 
			 2000 4.81 1.85 1.55 4.94 13.16 
			 2001 11.38 1.77 1.96 10.61 25.72 
			 2002 5.62 2.76 2.29 0.00 10.67 
		
	
	Source:
	Imputed Multilateral Share/DAC online website

Tsunami (Sri Lanka)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Sri Lanka regarding its decision to impose customs duty on vehicles brought into the country to assist tsunami aid work; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to my response given to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 6 July 2005, Official Report, column. 469W.

Work-related Stress

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation was paid to employees in each year; how many work days were lost due to work-related stress in each year; at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The number of reported cases of work-related stress in DFID over the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002 33 
			 2003 45 
			 2004 27 
		
	
	The figures quoted were those reported to DFID's Staff Welfare and Counselling Services, but because of the confidentiality guarantees given to staff, we cannot ascertain whether all of those who reported that they were suffering from work-related stress (or sought advice on their condition) were absent from work as a result.
	No compensatory payments have been made to any members of DFID's staff over the three year period.
	DFID's electronic attendance management system does not differentiate between work-related stress and stress induced illnesses that may have been caused by other factors. Information on the number of working days lost as consequence of work-related stress could be made available only by incurring a disproportionate cost.
	DFID recognises work-related stress as an occupational health and safety issue and is currently putting the Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards for handling work-related stress into practice. A comprehensive risk assessment was carried out in 2004 and we are currently working towards implementing an improved Stress Prevention Strategy.
	The overall pattern of results is positive. For the organisation as a whole, commitment has been assessed as high; stress levels are considered low or normal in most areas, and reported risks to physical and psychological health are within the normal range.
	DFID has a Stress Management Policy and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with work-related stress, including stress management training; an Employee Assistance Programme; a Counselling Service; flexible working arrangements and an Occupational Healthcare Scheme. The cost of the work undertaken to date is estimated at approximately 25,000.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academies (Admissions)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers she has in relation to the admission arrangements of academies, with particular reference to Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough.

Jacqui Smith: Admissions arrangements for academies are agreed with the Secretary of State as a condition for the Funding Agreement, following local consultation. They are consistent with the School Admissions code of Practice and have to be fair, open and transparent. Academies also take part in local admissions forums and are also required by law to cater for children of all abilities.

Adult Illiteracy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the extent of adult illiteracy in England is; what criteria she uses to assess illiteracy; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Skills for Life Survey: A national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills (DfES, October 2003) provides the latest estimates of literacy levels across England. The survey assessed the literacy, numeracy and ICT skills of around 8,000 adults aged 16 and above in England.
	The survey findings are shown in the following tables. The assessment levels correspond to the literacy and numeracy national standards: these were introduced in 2002 to provide a framework for all adult screening tests, diagnostic tools, programmes of study and qualifications. Learners are assessed for levels of literacy from entry level 1 to level 2. Level 2 is broadly equivalent to a higher grade GCSE (A*-C).
	Overall around 16 per cent. of adults had literacy skills below level 1 and 47 per cent. had numeracy skills below this level.
	
		Overall literacyBase: all respondents with literacy level (7874)
		
			  16 to 65-year-olds 
			  Percentage Number (million) 
		
		
			 Entry level 1 or below 3 1.1 
			 Entry level 2 2 0.6 
			 Entry level 3 11 3.5 
			 (All entry level or below) (16) (5.2) 
			 Level 1 40 12.6 
			 Level 2 or above 44 14.1 
			  100 31.9 
		
	
	Source for population figures:
	Census 01
	Skills for Life survey, 2003
	
		Overall numeracyBase: all respondents with numeracy level (8040)
		
			  16 to 65-year-olds 
			  Percentage Number (million) 
		
		
			 Entry level 1 or below 5 1.7 
			 Entry level 2 16 5.1 
			 Entry level 3 25 8.1 
			 (All entry level or below) (47) (15.0) 
			 Level 1 28 8.8 
			 Level 2 or above 25 8.1 
			  100 31.9 
		
	
	Source for population figures:
	Census 01
	Skills for Life survey, 2003
	A copy of the survey report is in the House of Commons Library and on the DfES website www.dfes.gov.uk.

A-levels

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 979W, on A-levels, if she will place a copy of her letter in the Library.

Jacqui Smith: A copy of the Secretary of State's remit letter to QCA of 29 March 2005 has been placed in the House Library.

A-levels

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost was per head of pupils studying for A levels in (a) schools funded by local education authorities and (b) colleges funded through learning and skills councils in the last year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The Further Education (FE) funding system is different to schools. Funding is paid for learning aims as well as an entitlement per 1618 payment.
	Under the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC's) funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels in a sixth form college and an FE college to a student in the 2004/05 academic year was 3,045. This figure comprises 766 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, and 747 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme.
	Under the LSC's funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels to a student at an English maintained secondary school was 3,212. This figure comprises 785 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, 750 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme, and 107 for each student to meet additional employers' contributions to teachers' pensions.
	These figures do not represent all funding that colleges and school sixth forms receive and are not directly comparable. For example the FE funding rates include consolidated funds for pay and staff training that are not reflected in the school sixth form rates. Also, in each case additional funding may also be available to take account of the higher costs of delivering learning in particular geographical areas, in higher cost subjects, or to students with particular disadvantages or individual needs.

Children's Trusts

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent evaluation she has made of children's trusts.

Beverley Hughes: Children's trusts are being evaluated over three years through the national evaluation of children's trusts. The Phase 1 report of the national evaluation of children's trusts will be published in the summer. Other current national evaluations, for example of the Children's fund and of Sure Start, are also providing important messages about the development of children's trusts.

Conferences

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The Department organises a large number of events for different target audiences and purposes each year, ranging from small scale workshops to introduce practitioners to new procedures or initiatives, to larger scale events to promote policy initiatives or share good practice.
	Records of events organised or sponsored by the Department are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Dance and Drama Awards scholarships, funded by the Learning and Skills Council, have been made in the last five years to residents of each of the nations of the UK.

Bill Rammell: The Dance and Drama Awards are open to students from all parts of the UK and the EU. Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The number of Further Education Dance and Drama Awards allocated to students between 200001 and 200405 was 4,427. This figure includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of nation and region of residence in the granting of dance and drama awards scholarships as funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

Bill Rammell: Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a dance and drama award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The average size of non-means tested awards made to schools on behalf of all students in receipt of a dance and drama award between 2000 and 2005 was 6,572. This includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size has been of awards made to residents of each of the nations of the UK from the Dance and Drama Awards scholarships funded by the Learning and Skills Council over the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The average size of non-means tested awards made to schools on behalf of all students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award between 2000 and 2005 was 6,572. This includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of (a) nation and (b) region of residence in the granting of awards from the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 11 July 2005
	All students in receipt of Dance and Drama Awards, who currently live in England, Scotland or Wales, are ordinarily resident in England, Scotland or Wales at the beginning of the academic year and who have been ordinarily resident in the British Isles for the last three years can apply for means tested help from the Fees and Maintenance Fund. Eligible European Union citizens in receipt of Dance and Drama Awards who do not meet the above requirements can apply for fee support only from the Fees and Maintenance fund.
	English, Scottish and EU residents are assessed for support by Manchester LEA. The assessment is based on family income and if they meet the residency requirements above no further account is taken of nationality or region of residence.
	The National Assembly for Wales holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs for Welsh students and the Scottish Executive holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs of Scottish students.
	Students living in Northern Ireland who have been ordinarily resident in the British Isles for at least three years and who have a Dance and Drama Award apply for student support through the Department for Employment and Learning.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size has been of awards made to residents of each of the nations of the UK from the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: UK students in receipt of a dance and drama award can apply for means tested support to help with their maintenance and with their tuition fee contribution. English, Scottish and Welsh students apply for this help through Manchester LEA while students from Northern Ireland apply direct to the Department for Employment and Learning.
	The National Assembly for Wales holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs for Welsh students and the Scottish Executive holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs of Scottish students.
	The average amount of support received by Welsh dance and drama award students who applied for means tested support between 2000 and 2005 was 3,000.
	We only have figures on Scottish students from 2001, as prior to this Scottish students in receipt of a dance and drama award received discretionary support for maintenance costs through their local LEA. The average amount of support received by Scottish students who applied for means tested support between 2001 and 2005 was 2,900.
	The average amount of means tested support paid to other students who applied during 200005 was 2,703.

Education (Sutton)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1446W, on spending per pupil, what the figures were for the London borough of Sutton.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		School based expenditure(33) per pupil(34) for Sutton LEAin 198586 and 200304(35)(5508020036)
		
			  per pupil(37) 
			  198586 200304 
		
		
			 LEA maintained primary schools 750 2,640 
			 LEA maintained secondary schools 1,140 3,550 
			 LEA maintained special schools(38)  13,630 
		
	
	(33) School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.
	(34) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending LEA maintained schools and are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	(35) 19992000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 200304 is the latest year for which figures are available.
	(36) The main difference between the 198586 and 200304 figures is that meals and milk is no longer excluded and that no adjustments for balances are now made. However, 198586 also includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses, while in 200304 only the schools element of these categories is included. Also, for some LEAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LEA part of the form in 200304 and would therefore be excluded, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources.
	(37) Figures are reported in cash terms and rounded to the nearest 10 as reported by the LEA.
	(38) Figures for 198586 are published in the Departments Statistics of Education, Finance and Awards volume 1985. The all England figure published in the earlier Official Report, column 1446W, was taken as an aggregate of the individual LEA level unit costs for special schools. The individual LEA special School data are no longer available and therefore are not included in the answer to this PQ.

Enterprise Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in encouraging a common understanding of enterprise among secondary school teachers.

Jacqui Smith: Our guidance for teachers on the Teachemet website clearly sets out our definition on Enterprise Education. This definition is being reinforced at the 47 regional conferences we are currently running for all secondary schools in England, in which we emphasise the importance of whole-staff discussion of enterprise.

Enterprise Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has issued on the priority to be given to entrepreneurship within the teaching of enterprise.

Jacqui Smith: In the past two years we have been working with over 700 Pathfinder schools in order to generate national guidance based on the experience of the schools on ways of effectively teaching enterprise. We have also been holding a series of Enterprise in Schools conferences in all of the 47 LSC areas. These conferences, with the guidance, have clarified and defined the importance of entrepreneurship as part of enterprise education.

Examinations

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) secondary school students and (b) secondary modern school students aged 15 years at the start of the school year obtained the equivalent of Level 2 (five or more grade A*-C GCSEs) in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003 and (iv) 2004.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  All schools Modern schools 
			  Number of 15 year old pupils Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving five or more A*-C Number of 15 year old pupils Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving five or more A*-C 
		
		
			 2003/04 643,560 53.7 26,808 42.3 
			 2002/03 622,122 52.9 25,563 40.9 
			 2001/02 606,554 51.6 24,710 38.8 
			 2000/01 603,318 50.0 24,724 36.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. For 2003/04 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. For 2000/012002/03 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.
	2. As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
	3. The information for this answer is derived from data collected for the school and college achievement and attainment tables (formerly performance tables) that are published annually.

Free School Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school children receive free school milk in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Free School Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many litres of milk are provided free each day in (a) English and (b) Lancashire schools.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Free School Milk

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools are participating in the free school milk scheme; how many deliveries are made per week to these schools; and what percentage of milk supplied to schools under the scheme is sourced from (a) national suppliers and (b) overseas suppliers.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Higher Education Initial Participation Rate

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects the report commissioned by her Department to assess the feasibility of disaggregating the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate by ethnicity, disability, social class and region to be published; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Professor Brian Ramsden's report on whether the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) should be disaggregated is expected to be published on 25 August 2005.

Higher Education Initial Participation Rate

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills under what circumstances students whose domicile is (a) non-UK and (b) unknown areincluded in the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate; and how many students there were in each category in each year between 19992000 and 200304.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) is a measure of initial participation for 17 to 30-year-old English domiciled first-time entrants to Higher Education and is produced in accordance with the recommendations of a National Statistics Quality review (National Statistics Quality Review SeriesReport No. 24). No students recorded with non-UK or unknown domiciles have been included in the HEIPR in any year. The HEIPR includes only students recorded as English domiciled or United Kingdom domiciled and attending courses at English institutions, with the assumption that latter group are likely to be English.
	The following table records the number of students included in the HEIPR who are listed as United Kingdom domiciled:
	
		Entrants with domiciles listed as United Kingdom counted in the HEIPR
		
			 Academic year 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 
		
		
			 No prior HE 575 1,380 670 980 700 
			 Unknown prior HE(39) 235 145 110 170 200 
		
	
	(39) Entrants with unknown prior HE status qualify in the HEIPR on a pro-rata basis, therefore only a proportion of these students will be included.
	Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
	Note:
	It is normal practice to code United Kingdom students under their component domiciles (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), rather than United Kingdom. HESA guidance has since 1996/97 indicated that the United Kingdom code should not be returned for a student's domicile.
	Source:
	Information derived from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.
	
		Numbers of entrants counted within the HEIPR
		
			 Academic year Number of initial entrants (000) 
		
		
			 1999/2000 246 
			 2000/01 249 
			 2001/02 255 
			 2002/03 268 
			 2003/04 269 
		
	
	Source:
	Information derived from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record and Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record.

Homework

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2005, Official Report, column 1702W, on out-of-hours learning, if she will ask Ofsted to calculate the proportion of (a) secondary schools and (b) primary schools that set homework consistent with the guidance set out in her Department's publication, Homework: Guidance for Primary and Secondary Schools.

Jacqui Smith: In their evaluation of the quality of teaching and how well pupils learn, Ofsted inspectors assess the effectiveness of a school's use of homework in reinforcing and extending what pupils have learnt at school. We have no plans to expand Ofsted's responsibilities in the monitoring of homework provision in schools.

Korean Studies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many universities have Korean studies departments; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The information is not held centrally, but the current course listings on the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website www.ucas.com show that two institutions, the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and Sheffield University, offer courses in Korean either as a single subject or in combination with other subjects.
	My hon. Friend will be aware that the Higher Education Funding Council for England has submitted their report on strategically important and vulnerable subjects.
	Japanese, Chinese and other Far East languages and area studies were highlighted as part of this work. We are listening to what the sector think of the recommendations in the report and will be responding in the autumn.

Private Finance Initiative

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department gives to local education authorities on the tendering of private finance initiative contracts under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if she will place this guidance in the Library.

Jacqui Smith: A comprehensive suite of guidance documents for authorities benefiting from the transformational investment programme of Building Schools for the Future has been issued by both my Department and our delivery partners, Partnerships for Schools. In order to minimise procurement costs for local government, and to enable rapid project progress, Partnerships for Schools has in fact developed bespoke and standardised documentation for all aspects of procurement within the programme. The guidance specific to private finance initiative contracts can be found at:
	www.p4s.org.uk/StandardDocuments.
	I am of course happy to place copies of this guidance in the Library.

Pupil Referral Units

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to increase access to pupil referral units; what the latest figure is for the waiting time for referral in West Oxfordshire; and if she will make a statement on her policy on pupil referral units.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 11 July 2005
	It is for local authorities themselves to decide how best to meet the needs of pupils in their area who, for reasons of illness, exclusion or otherwise, are unable to attend mainstream schools. However, guidance issued to local authorities and schools in January 2005 about pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative provision emphasised existing advice that education for this group of pupils must be of high standard and appropriate to their particular needs.
	Local authorities use PRUs and a wide range of other educational provision to ensure this duty is adequately discharged. In 1997 there were 309 PRUs in England catering for 7,530 pupils compared to around 450 now catering for 14,470.
	The Oxfordshire education authority's PRU and Integration Service (PRUIS) provides or arranges alternative educational provision for around 250 pupils, including pupils in West Oxfordshire, this academic year. Admissions to Oxfordshire PRUIS, including from West Oxfordshire, are handled by a committee which meets every six weeks. The time taken from a referral for a place at PRUIS depends on the particular needs of the individual pupil. However, the education for pupils who have been permanently excluded is usually arranged and implemented from the 16 day of exclusion.

School Admissions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children were allocated their most preferred (a) primary and junior school and (b) secondary school in each English county in each of the last eight years.

Jacqui Smith: Information on pupils allocated their most preferred primary and secondary school is not collected centrally.

School Meals

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department has held discussions with the London borough of Greenwich on its participation in the recent Channel 4 series on school meals and ongoing school meals initiatives.

Jacqui Smith: DfES officials met with officials from Greenwich on 13 April 2005 to discuss what the borough has learned from working with Jamie Oliver and what it has since done to take forward work on healthy eating.

School Meals

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school children in Worcestershire (a) receive free school meals and (b) are eligible for free school meals, broken down by district.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools: school meal arrangementsJanuary 2005 (provisional)Worcestershire local education authority broken down by district
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary(40) 
			   Pupils taking free school meals Pupils known to be eligible for school meals 
			  Number on roll2 Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Worcestershire LEA 36,800 2,760 7.1 3,410 8.8 
			   
			 Districts  
			 Bromsgrove 6,210 270 4.4 320 5.1 
			 Malvern Hills 5,640 290 5.1 360 6.5 
			 Redditch 5,010 550 11.0 700 13.9 
			 Worcester 7,360 640 8.7 800 10.9 
			 Wychavon 8,900 370 4.1 450 5.1 
			 Wyre Forest 5,680 640 11.3 780 13.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary 
			   Pupils taking free school meals Pupils known to be eligible for school meals 
			  Number on roll2 Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Worcestershire LEA 41,200 2,450 6.0 3,400 8.3 
			   
			 Districts  
			 Bromsgrove 8,790 360 4.1 480 5.4 
			 Malvern Hills 4,730 220 4.6 260 5.5 
			 Redditch 7,660 640 8.3 840 10.9 
			 Worcester 5,550 350 6.3 600 10.8 
			 Wychavon 6,560 230 3.4 320 4.8 
			 Wyre Forest 7,920 660 8.4 910 11.5 
		
	
	(40) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(41) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.
	Note:
	Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

School Meals

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the quality of hot school meals provided at Sacred Heart RC School, Chorley.

Jacqui Smith: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information on the quality of individual schools' meals.

School Violence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school violence episodes have occurred in Southend, West constituency schools in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Schools Adjudicator

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school closures have been determined by the schools adjudicator in each of the last five years for which full annual figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The numbers of proposals for mainstream school closures that were decided by the schools adjudicator between 2000 and 2004 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Proposals approved Proposals rejected Total decisions 
		
		
			 2000 3 11 14 
			 2001 13 1 14 
			 2002 7 5 12 
			 2003 18 12 30 
			 2004 21 8 29 
		
	
	The figures include cases in which schools have been closed to permit the establishment of a new school on the same site. The figures include decisions on maintained nursery school closures but exclude special school closure decisions.

Secondary Education

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for improvements to secondary education in Mid Bedfordshire.

Jacqui Smith: The Department's Strategy for Children and Learners sets out the range of departmental policies and initiatives which will raise the quality of education, teaching and learning in Bedfordshire and across the country over the next five years.
	In Bedfordshire, as a whole, we have increased funding per pupil by 1,040 since 199798 and announced last November nearly 54 million of capital support for Bedfordshire and its schools over the next three years. We are supporting the Bedford Excellence Cluster of 20 schools, a 1419 Pathfinder in South West Bedfordshire and the development of extended schools. We are also providing Leadership Incentive Grant funding to three schools and, through the Department's Innovations Unit, are working with a number of schools in Bedfordshire on furthering collaboration, in order to raise standards.
	In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency specifically, we have supported the PFI funded expansion and redevelopment of Samuel Whitbread and Harlington Schools and have also approved specialist status for three of its four upper schools which receive extra funding to develop curriculum specialisms.

State Boarding Schools

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many state boarding schools there are in England; and where they are located.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of maintained boarding schoolsJanuary 2005 (provisional V4)by local education authority area
		
			  Number of maintained boarding schools 
		
		
			 England 34 
			   
			 North East 1 
			 Darlington 0 
			 Durham 0 
			 Gateshead 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 
			 Middlesbrough 0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 
			 North Tyneside 0 
			 Northumberland 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 
			 South Tyneside 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 
			 Sunderland 0 
			   
			 North West 3 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 
			 Blackpool 0 
			 Bolton 0 
			 Bury 0 
			 Cheshire 0 
			 Cumbria 2 
			 Halton 0 
			 Knowsley 0 
			 Lancashire 1 
			 Liverpool 0 
			 Manchester 0 
			 Oldham 0 
			 Rochdale 0 
			 Salford 0 
			 Sefton 0 
			 St. Helens 0 
			 Stockport 0 
			 Tameside 0 
			 Trafford 0 
			 Warrington 0 
			 Wigan 0 
			 Wirral 0 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1 
			 Barnsley 0 
			 Bradford 0 
			 Calderdale 0 
			 Doncaster 0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 0 
			 Kirklees 0 
			 Leeds 0 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 
			 North Yorkshire 1 
			 Rotherham 0 
			 Sheffield 0 
			 Wakefield 0 
			 York 0 
			   
			 East Midlands 5 
			 Derby 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 
			 Leicester 0 
			 Leicestershire 2 
			 Lincolnshire 2 
			 Northamptonshire 0 
			 Nottingham 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 
			 Rutland 0 
			   
			 West Midlands 3 
			 Birmingham 0 
			 Coventry 0 
			 Dudley 1 
			 Herefordshire 0 
			 Sandwell 0 
			 Shropshire 1 
			 Solihull 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 
			 Walsall 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 
			 Wolverhampton 0 
			 Worcestershire 0 
			   
			 East of England 4 
			 Bedfordshire 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 
			 Essex 1 
			 Hertfordshire 2 
			 Luton 0 
			 Norfolk 1 
			 Peterborough 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 
			 Suffolk 0 
			 Thurrock 0 
			   
			 London 0 
			 Inner London 0 
			 Camden 0 
			 City of London 0 
			 Hackney 0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 
			 Haringey 0 
			 Islington 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 
			 Lambeth 0 
			 Lewisham 0 
			 Newham 0 
			 Southwark 0 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 
			 Wandsworth 0 
			 Westminster 0 
			   
			 Outer London 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 
			 Barnet 0 
			 Bexley 0 
			 Brent 0 
			 Bromley 0 
			 Croydon 0 
			 Ealing 0 
			 Enfield 0 
			 Greenwich 0 
			 Harrow 0 
			 Havering 0 
			 Hillingdon 0 
			 Hounslow 0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 
			 Merton 0 
			 Redbridge 0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 
			 Sutton 0 
			 Waltham Forest 0 
			   
			 South East 12 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 
			 Brighton and Hove 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 1 
			 East Sussex 0 
			 Hampshire(42) 3 
			 Isle of Wight 0 
			 Kent 3 
			 Medway 0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 
			 Oxfordshire 1 
			 Portsmouth 0 
			 Reading 1 
			 Slough 0 
			 Southampton 0 
			 Surrey 2 
			 West Berkshire 0 
			 West Sussex 1 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 
			 Wokingham 0 
			   
			 South West 5 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 
			 Bournemouth 0 
			 Bristol, City of 0 
			 Cornwall 0 
			 Devon 1 
			 Dorset 1 
			 Gloucestershire 0 
			 Isles of Scilly 1 
			 North Somerset 0 
			 Plymouth 0 
			 Poole 0 
			 Somerset 2 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 
			 Swindon 0 
			 Torbay 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 
		
	
	(42) Includes one FE college

Student Finance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what financial support (a) was offered to English part-time students for each year from 2001 to 2004 and (b) will be offered in 200506; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what research her Department has commissioned on university fees for English part-time students after 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: This Government were the first to introduce statutory support for students studying on a part-time basis. From 2001 support for English part-time students was in the form of an income-assessed loan of 500 per annum; a fee waiver system was also available to students in certain circumstances.
	In 2004/05 a new package of statutory support was introduced comprising a non-repayable fee grant of up to 575 and a non-repayable course grant of up to 250. The grants are means-tested in order to target funding most effectively at those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
	For the academic year 2005/06 the maximum fee grant is being increased to 885. And we are improving the fee grant by linking the amount available to the intensity at which the student is studying.
	We will continue to monitor the sector to ensure that we use available funding in the most effective way to support those part-time students who most need it.

Teacher Recruitment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2005, Official Report, columns 163435W, on teacher recruitment, what proportion of the people recruited to teach (a) science, (b) mathematics and (c) modern foreign languages were from (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other overseas nations in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Truancy

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy level has been in the Bedfordshire local education authority for each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given below. The figures relate to unauthorised absence, which include all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term-time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
	
		Number of pupils absent for at least one half day due to unauthorised absence, Bedfordshire LEA 1996/97 to 2003/04
		
			  Primary Secondary Primary and Secondary 
		
		
			 1996/97
			 Number absent 1,782 2,608 4,390 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 8.5 8.3 8.4 
			 
			 1997/98
			 Number absent 1,942 3,319 5,261 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 9.3 10.4 9.9 
			 
			 1998/99
			 Number absent 2,376 4,285 6,661 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 11.4 13.2 12.5 
			 
			 1999/2000
			 Number absent 2,418 4,152 6,570 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 11.7 12.6 12.2 
			 
			 2000/01
			 Number absent 2,274 4,445 6,719 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 10.9 13.2 12.3 
			 2001/02
			 Number absent 2,047 4,253 6,300 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 9.8 12.6 11.5 
			 
			 2002/03
			 Number absent 2,068 4,510 6,578 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 9.9 13.3 12.0 
			 
			 2003/04
			 Number absent 1,942 4,857 6,799 
			 As percentage of pupils of compulsory school age 9.5 14.2 12.4

Tuition Fees

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from teacher training institutions in respect of the likely effect of charging the full 3,000 tuition fees on student take-up of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

Jacqui Smith: The TTA received letters from the universities of Keele and East Anglia on this subject. Both institutions wanted to ensure that sufficient financial support was available for trainees in order to secure recruitment onto courses. However, the TTA has recently reviewed its range of financial incentives for trainee teachers on Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses to ensure such support is available.

Uxbridge Academy

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she expects the proposed new 16 to 19 Academy based on Brunel University's Uxbridge campus to improve the London borough of Hillingdon's post-16 participation rate; and what balance of curriculum levels is intended for the Academy.

Jacqui Smith: We do expect the Brunel HSBC Education Trust Academy to increase post 16 participation rates in Hillingdon. It will be in a strong position to do this through its location on a university campus with access to Brunel University's facilities and expertise. It will also provide enrichment and placement opportunities for other schools.
	Data from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) shows that four of the six west London boroughs (Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon and Hounslow) have post-16 participation rates below the national average with participation rates in Hillingdon as low as 73 per cent. (2003). A particular issue in west London is the relatively low participation rate of white students (67 per cent.), particularly boys. This variation is also reflected in Higher Education participation rates where 30 ward areas within the six boroughs have been identified as having low participation.
	The Academy aims to attract students who might not otherwise have remained in education at age 16. The curriculum to be offered by the Academy will principally cover education at levels 2 and 3. The sponsors expect about 50 per cent. of the intake to progress from level 1 to 2 and 50 per cent. to progress from level 2 to 3. They recognise that some students will require additional support before commencing level 3 courses in the Academy's specialisms of science, technology, maths and Chinese. There will be extensive discussions with education professionals and local providers to ensure that a suitable curriculum, which complements existing provision, is available for the students.